Child Support Agency

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many of the Child Support Agency's cases concerned a child who was between the ages of 16 and 18 years in the last period for which figures are available.

James Plaskitt: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive. He will write to the hon. Member.
	 Letter from Stephen Geraghty, dated 29 November 2007:
	In reply to your parliamentary question about the Child Support Agency, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the chief Executive.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many of the Child Support Agency's cases concerned a child who was between the ages of 16 and 18 years in the last period for which figures are available.
	As at September 2007, the Agency has 269,000 assessed cases which involved at lest one child between the ages of 16 and 18 years inclusive. This figure includes cases with a positive liability as well as those with a nil liability.
	I hope you find this answer helpful.

Armed Forces: Compensation

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 13 November 2007,  Official Report, column 121W, on armed forces: compensation, how many multiple injuries cases there were in each financial year since 2005-06.

Derek Twigg: The information requested is not held centrally for the War Pensions Scheme and could only be provided at disproportionate cost. However, I am able to provide details of the number of awards made under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme for multiple injuries in each year. These are shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Multiple injury awards( 1, 2) 
			   Number 
			 April 2005-March 2006 20 
			 April 2006-March 2007 160 
			 April 2007-September 2007 100 
			 (1) Data has been rounded to the nearest five.  (2) Figures show the year in which the award was made, this is not necessarily the year in which the injury/illness occurred.

Armed Forces: Manpower

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the  (a) percentage recruitment gap and  (b) percentage change in personnel numbers of each regiment was in the latest year for which figures are available.

Derek Twigg: Officers are not recruited against regimental targets but against a whole Army requirement. It is only after completing officer training and commissioning that an officer joins a particular regiment.
	Army recruitment targets are broken down by arm/service for soldiers. There are no recruitment targets set for the small arms school corps or the Army physical training corps because recruits are required to serve as a soldier before they are entitled to join.
	The following tables provide details of army officer and soldier recruitment targets and achievement for the financial year 2006-07, and the change in Army officer and soldier full-time trained strengths between 1 April 2006 and 1 March 2007.
	
		
			  Army recruitment targets and achievements during financial year 2006-07 
			  Rank  Arm/service  Recruitment target  Number recruited  Recruitment percentage 
			 Officers  840 780 92.9 
			  
			 Soldier Total 13,070 12,660 96.9 
			  Household Cavalry 170 170 100.0 
			  Royal Armoured Corps 630 630 100.0 
			  Royal Artillery 1,030 970 94.2 
			  Royal Engineers 1,370 1.340 97.8 
			  Royal Corps of Signals 870 750 86.2 
			  Infantry 4,260 4,310 101.2 
			  Army Air Corps 190 210 110.5 
			  Royal Logistics Corps 2,410 2,100 87.1 
			  Army Medical Service 450 430 95.6 
			  Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers 1,060 1,290 121.7 
			  Adjutant General Corps 400 260 65.0 
			  Intelligence Corps 160 160 100.0 
			  Corps of Army Music 70 40 57.1 
			  Notes: 1. Figures for Army recruitment targets and achievement have been taken from recruiting databases and cannot therefore be compared directly to National Statistics published by the Defence Analytical Services Agency. 2. The counts of targets and achievements have been rounded to the nearest 10. Due to the rounding methods used, totals may not always equal the sum of the parts. Numbers ending in "5" have been rounded to the nearest multiple of 20 to prevent systematic bias. 
		
	
	
		
			  Army full-time trained strength (excluding Gurkhas) 
			  Rank  Arm/Service  Strength 1 April 2006  Strength 1 March 2007  Change percentage 
			  
			 Officers Total 14,020 14,180 1.2 
			  
			 Soldier Total 83,270 81,760 -1.8 
			  Household Cavalry/Royal Armoured Corps 4,650 4,650 -0.1 
			  Royal Artillery 6,270 5,980 -4.9 
			  Royal Engineers 7,620 7,690 0.9 
			  Royal Corps of Signals 7,520 7,220 -4.3 
			  Infantry 21,160 20,830 -1.8 
			  Army Air Corps 1,480 1,510 2.0 
			  Royal Logistics Corps 13,990 13,740 -2.0 
			  Army Medical Service 2,880 2,760 -4.1 
			  Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers 8,900 8,780 -1.5 
			  Adjutant General Corps 5,610 5,280 -6.6 
			  Small Arms School Corps 120 120 1.6 
			  Intelligence Corps 1,180 1,200 1.4 
			  Army Physical Training Corps 410 400 -2.8 
			  Corps of Army Music 880 840 -6.0 
			  Long Service List 610 610 -0.7 
			  Notes: 1. Full-time trained strength includes full-time reserve service (FTRS) figures but excludes Gurkhas. 2. Figures exclude; Gurkhas, Home Service Battalions of the Royal Irish Regiment, mobilised reserves, Territorial Army and other reserves. 3. Due to ongoing data validation following the introduction of the new Joint Personnel Administration (JP A) System, there is no Arm/Corps information currently available from 1 March 2007 therefore it is only possible to provide strengths data for 2006-07 from 1 April 2006 to 1 March 2007. 4. The counts of targets and achievements have been rounded to the nearest 10. Due to the founding methods used, totals may not always equal the sum of the parts. Numbers ending in "5" have been rounded to the nearest multiple of 20 to prevent systematic bias.

HM Revenue and Customs: Personal Data

Tim Loughton: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions he has had with Ministerial colleagues and children's organisations on the implications for child protection of the recent loss of personal data by HM Revenue and Customs.

Jane Kennedy: The police continue to have no reason to believe that this data has been used for fraudulent purposes or criminal activity. The Government have discussed the broader implications of the incident with a range of organisations, and has considered appropriate steps to manage any risks resulting from the unlikely event that this data falls into the wrong hands.

HM Revenue and Customs: Personal Data

Peter Bone: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer who will bear liability arising from any fraudulent use of the personal data relating to child benefit lost by HM Revenue and Customs.

Jane Kennedy: The police continue to have no reason to believe that this data has found its way into the wrong hands and are not aware of any evidence that it has been used for fraudulent purposes or criminal activity.

QinetiQ

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions he has had with Ministerial colleagues at the Ministry of Defence on the National Audit Office report on the privatisation of QinetiQ.

Andy Burnham: The Government accept the recommendations made in the NAO report, and welcomes the work undertaken to highlight lessons that can be applied in the future.

Child Benefit: Personal Records

Sarah Teather: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people he estimates will be directly affected by the loss of personal data from the child benefit database in each London borough.

Jane Kennedy: The missing information contains details of all child benefit recipients, including those in London boroughs.
	The acting Chairman of HM Revenue and Customs is writing to all customers affected by the loss of child benefit data.
	Information on families receiving child benefit at 31 August 2006 by local authority and parliamentary constituency are published as part of National Statistics and can be found in tables 2 and 3 of Child Benefit Statistics Geographical Analysis which are available on HMRC's website at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/child_benefit/geogaug06.pdf

Child Benefit: Personal Records

David Evennett: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many child benefit claimants in  (a) Bexleyheath and Crayford constituency and  (b) the London borough of Bexley are affected by the loss of bank account details by HM Revenue and Customs.

Jane Kennedy: The missing information contains details of all child benefit recipients, including those in Bexleyheath and Crayford and the London borough of Bexley. The acting chairman of HM Revenue and Customs is writing to all customers affected by the loss of child benefit data.
	Information on families receiving child benefit at 31 August 2006 by local authority and parliamentary constituency are published as part of National Statistics and can be found in tables 2 and 3 of child benefit statistics geographical analysis which are available on HMRC's website at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/child benefit/geog-aug06.pdf

Child Benefit: Personal Records

James Paice: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many  (a) children and  (b) adults in (i) East Cambridgeshire, (ii) South Cambridgeshire, (iii) Cambridgeshire and (iv) the South East Cambridgeshire constituency have had their personal details lost in the recent security breach at HM Revenue and Customs.

Jane Kennedy: The missing information contains details of all child benefit recipients, including those in East Cambridgeshire, South Cambridgeshire, Cambridgeshire and the South East Cambridgeshire. The acting chairman of HM Revenue and Customs is writing to all customers affected by the loss of child benefit data.
	Information on families receiving child benefit at 31 August 2006 by local authority and parliamentary constituency are published as part of National Statistics and can be found in tables 2 and 3 of child benefit statistics geographical analysis which are available on HMRC's website at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/child benefit/geogaug06.pdf

Corporate Tax

Michael Meacher: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what information his Department holds on the level of corporate tax rates in each of the OECD economies in each year since 1990.

Jane Kennedy: Data on corporate tax rates in OECD countries is publicly available from the OECD tax database, which can be accessed from the OECD's public website at http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/26/56/33717459.xls. This data is available from 2000.

Departmental Telephone Services

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what information his Department collects and monitors in relation to the telephone contact centres for which his Department is responsible;
	(2)  which telephone contact centres are the responsibility of his Department; what mechanisms are in place to monitor their effectiveness; and how many people have been employed in each of those centres in each year since they were established.

Jane Kennedy: HMRC currently operates 21 contact centres through it's centrally managed customer contact directorate. These handle the bulk of inbound customer initiated telephone calls. Additionally there remain a number of helplines and back office telephony services that are operated outside of this contact centre network.
	The effectiveness of the HMRC contact centre operations is monitored through standard departmental management arrangements, through customer satisfaction surveys, through membership of the industry-wide Contact Centre Association and by active participation in the recently established Contact Council, set up following publication of Sir David Varney's report: "Service Transformation: a Better Service For Citizens and Businesses, a Better Deal for Taxpayers" published alongside the 2006 pre-Budget report and available at
	www.hm-treasury.gov.uk.
	With regard to staff numbers, I would refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 26 July 2007,  Official Report , column 1453W.
	HMRC collects and monitors a wide range of information in respect of its contact centre operations including call volumes, caller demand, service levels achieved and customer satisfaction survey results.

Opinion Leader Research

Theresa May: To ask the Prime Minister how many contracts were awarded by his Office to Opinion Leader Research in each year since 1997; and what was  (a) the title and purpose,  (b) the cost to the public purse and  (c) the dates of (i) tender, (ii) award, (iii) operation and (iv) completion and report to the Department in each case.

Gordon Brown: I refer the right hon. Member to the answer given to her by my right hon. Friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office (Edward Miliband) on 26 November 2007,  Official Report, column 132W.

Government Departments: Data Protection

Paul Burstow: To ask the Chairman of the Public Accounts Commission what assessment has been made of the efficacy of data protection practice to safeguard against the unauthorised release of data which has been adopted by Government departments and agencies when subject to audit by the National Audit Office.

Alan Williams: This is not a matter for the Commission. The Comptroller and Auditor General has, by statute, complete discretion in the discharge of his functions, and the Commission therefore does not intervene in the day to day running of the National Audit Office. The hon. Member may wish to write to the Comptroller and Auditor General.

Defence: Exports

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the value was of defence exports in each of the last five years for which full year data is available; and if he will provide a table showing  (a) the UK share of the global defence exports market in each year and  (b) the split by (i) number and (ii) value of contracts in sterling between government-to-government contracts or agreements and non-government-to-government contracts or agreements.

Bob Ainsworth: holding answer 26 November 2007
	I have been asked to reply.
	The following table shows our estimate of the share of the global defence market for which UK exports account in the years 2002 to 2006.
	
		
			   UK market share  (Percentage) 
			 2002 22 
			 2003 22 
			 2004 20 
			 2005 18 
			 2006 18 
		
	
	The value of orders won by UK industry is shown in UK Defence Statistics 2007, Table 1.14. A copy of which is available in the Library of the House and also online at:
	http://www.dasa.mod.uk/natstats/ukds/2007/cl/table114.html
	The other information is not held in the format requested. We estimate, however, that around two-fifths of the value of UK defence exports in the years 2002 to 2006 relates to business under government-to-government agreements. During these years three such agreements have contributed to this overall share of UK exports.

Animal Welfare: Circuses

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he plans to bring forward regulations under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 on animals in travelling circuses; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: On 20 November, the independent Circus Working Group, set up by DEFRA, published its report on the welfare of non-domesticated animals in travelling circuses.
	My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State's (Hilary Benn) response to the report is available on the DEFRA website.

Animal Welfare: Circuses

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what response he has made to the wild animals in travelling circuses report commissioned by his Department; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State (Hilary Benn), was grateful for the Group's work, which will contribute to the debate on the welfare of wild animals in circuses, and will consider the report's findings carefully.
	The Government will now want to hear reactions to the report and consider its position.

Departmental Secondment

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many secondments of staff were made  (a) to and  (b) from his Department in each year since 1997; which organisations staff were seconded (i) to and (ii) from; how many staff were seconded in each year; for how long each secondment lasted; and what the cost was of each secondment in each year.

Jonathan R Shaw: DEFRA was created in June 2001 and the information provided relates to the period since then.
	The number of secondments made to or from DEFRA since June 2001 and the total number of secondments each year was as follows:
	
		
			   To  From  Total 
			 2001 25 18 43 
			 2002 45 54 99 
			 2003 69 73 142 
			 2004 64 85 149 
			 2005 103 83 186 
			 2006 82 145 227 
			 2007 42 47 89 
		
	
	The lengths of the secondments in each year were as follows:
	
		
			   Less  than one  year  One to two  years  Two to three years  Three to four years  Four to five years  Five years and over  Total 
			 2001 7 13 13 5 4 1 43 
			 2002 30 29 14 12 7 7 99 
			 2003 55 41 20 13 8 5 142 
			 2004 50 54 23 19 3 0 149 
			 2005 53 75 43 11 1 3 186 
			 2006 78 76 56 16 0 1 227 
			 2007 23 40 18 8 0 0 89 
		
	
	Information on which organisations staff were seconded to and from, and the cost was of each secondment in each year could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Farms: West Yorkshire

John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the average price of farmland per acre is in West Yorkshire; what estimate he has made of changes in the price over the last 10 years; what his assessment is of the effect of such charges; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: The following table shows the average prices per hectare of agricultural land-only sales in West Yorkshire compared with averages for England. Data is only available for 1998 to 2004.
	
		
			Average price (£ per Ha) 
			   Number of sales in West Yorkshire  West Yorkshire—Land only  England—Land only 
			 1998 36 4,976 5,414 
			 1999 19 5,627 5,282 
			 2000 20 6,524 5,603 
			 2001 17 7,786 5,674 
			 2002 16 5,951 5,488 
			 2003 16 11,056 5,390 
			 2004 9 11,621 6,131 
			  Source:  Based on data supplied by the Valuations Office 
		
	
	These estimates are based on land sales and, as a result, do not represent the value of all land in West Yorkshire. The volatility of the average sale prices in West Yorkshire from 1998 to 2004 is likely to be due to the relatively small number of sales on which the estimates are based.

Fish: Imports

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  whether he has made a recent assessment of the market impact of the importing of fish and shellfish into the UK for  (a) retail and  (b) consumption from (i) European Union and (ii) non-European Union countries which would have been illegal had they been landed in the UK;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the annual volume of imported fish from  (a) other European Union and  (b) non-European Union countries into the UK for consumption which would not have been caught legally had they been landed in the UK.

Jonathan R Shaw: Information on the volume and value of imports of fish and fish products broken down between European Union and non-European Union countries is published in Chapter 4 of the annual United Kingdom Sea Fisheries Statistics Tables published by the Marine and Fisheries Agency. Copies of the latest edition with data for 2006 has been placed in the Libraries of the House. A further breakdown between those for retail and direct consumption is not available, and an assessment with regards to whether the imports would have been regarded as illegal if they had been landed in the UK, has not been carried out.

Departmental Data Protection

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales 
	(1)  on how many occasions the Information Commissioner was contacted by his Department to report breaches of data protection security in each of the last five years;
	(2)  how many breaches of data protection security there were in his Department in each of the last five years; and if he will provide details of each breach.

Peter Hain: I refer the hon. Member to the statement made by right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 21 November 2007,  Official Report, column 1179. The review by the Cabinet Secretary and security experts is looking at procedures within Departments and agencies for the storage and use of data. A statement on Departments' procedures will be made on completion of the review.

Departmental Secondment

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many secondments of staff were made  (a) to and  (b) from his Office in each year since 1997; which organisations staff were seconded (i) to and (ii) from; how many staff were seconded in each year; for how long each secondment lasted; and what the cost was of each secondment in each year.

Peter Hain: The Wales Office was established in 1999 and has always had staff on loan from other Government Departments. Loans have predominantly been from the Welsh Assembly Government. Between 1999 and 2004, the vast majority of staff were on loan to the Wales Office, and since then it has reduced to around 50 per cent. of the total headcount.
	Numbers of staff, home departments and costs is not available in the format requested, and obtaining this information could be achieved only at disproportionate cost.

Antisocial Behaviour Orders

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent estimate she has made of the breach rate of antisocial behaviour orders.

Vernon Coaker: The latest data available for the breach rate for antisocial behaviour orders is for the period 1 June 2000 to 31 December 2005 and is 47 per cent. overall (57 per cent. for juveniles and 41 per cent. for adults with 3 per cent. age unknown). Analysis of the 2003 ASBO breach data showed that 55 per cent. of those who breached their ASBO received a custodial sentence, the average length of which was three-six months.

Asylum: Newcastle upon Tyne

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people  (a) entered and  (b) left accommodation supported by the National Asylum Support Service or the Borders and Immigration Agency in Newcastle upon Tyne in each quarter in (i) 2005, (ii) 2006 and (iii) 2007.

Liam Byrne: The information requested could be obtained only by the detailed examination of individual case records, at disproportionate cost.
	The numbers of asylum seekers in receipt of support broken down by Government office region and local authority are published on a quarterly and annual basis. Copies of these publications are available from the Home Office Research, Development and Statistics website at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html.
	Further breakdowns, of those in receipt of support by parliamentary constituency, are also available from the Library of the House.

Crime

Boris Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the  (a) level and  (b) rate per 1,000 population in (i) England and (ii) each London borough was of (A) crime, (B) homicide, (C) violence against the person, (D) rape, (E) personal robbery, (F) robberies from businesses, (G) residential burglary, (H) non-residential burglary, (I) gun-related crime, (J) motor vehicle crime, (K) domestic crime and (L) racial crime in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Vernon Coaker: Data for gun-related crime refers to the offences involving firearms (excluding air weapons) that have been recorded by the police. Data for 2005-06 is the most recently available and is given in Table A.
	From the information collected centrally on recorded crime, it is not possible to identify recorded cases of domestic crime. Such offences are not specifically defined by law and details of the individual circumstances of offences are not collected. Data for the remaining crime types requested are given for 2006-07 in Table B.
	
		
			  Table 1: Firearm offences (excluding air weapon offences) recorded( 1)  and the rate per 1,000 population—2005-06 
			   Offences recorded  Rate per 1,000 population 
			 Total London(2) 3,884 0.52 
			 Total England 10,851 0.22 
			 (1) Includes all offences involving firearms (excluding air weapons), where a weapon has been fired, used as a blunt instrument or used in a threat. (2) Includes the City of London police and the Metropolitan Police Service. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Offences recorded and the rate per 1,000 population for specified offence groups and areas 
			   Total recorded crime  Homicide( 1)  Violence against the person  Rape 
			   Offences recorded  Rate per 1,000 population  Offences recorded  Rate per 1,000 population  Offences recorded  Rate per 1,000 population  Offences recorded  Rate per 1,000 population 
			 Barking and Dagenham 21,384 129.98 9 0.05 5,150 31.30 68 0.41 
			 Barnet 29,920 90.75 5 0.02 5,512 16.72 67 0.20 
			 Bexley 16,997 77.15 (5)— (5)— 3,742 16.99 35 0.16 
			 Brent 30,474 112.83 4 0.01 6,216 23.02 93 0.34 
			 Bromley 28,424 94.14 4 0.01 5,697 18.87 46 0.15 
			 Camden 42,435 187.68 7 0.03 6,586 29.13 70 0.31 
			 City of Westminster 66,267 271.18 4 0.02 8,413 34.43 131 0.54 
			 Croydon 31,510 91.95 3 0.01 6,741 19.67 97 0.28 
			 Ealing 36,734 121.72 9 0.03 7,641 25.32 56 0.19 
			 Enfield 27,058 96.45 (5)— (5)— 5,342 19.04 66 0.24 
			 Greenwich 29,829 130.75 3 0.01 7,486 32.81 107 0.47 
			 Hackney 31,160 149.99 11 0.05 7,148 34.41 109 0.52 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 25,334 140.86 4 0.02 5,054 28.10 62 0.34 
			 Haringey 30,595 136.29 5 0.02 5,651 25.17 76 0.34 
			 Harrow 15,837 74.02 (5)— (5)— 2,870 13.41 45 0.21 
			 Havering 19,997 88.40 5 0.02 3,639 16.09 38 0.17 
			 Hillingdon 28,144 111.50 7 0.03 5,911 23.42 35 0.14 
			 Hounslow 24,485 115.22 4 0.02 5,502 25.89 78 0.37 
			 Islington 35,248 192.99 6 0.03 6,289 34.43 89 0.49 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 24,328 123.98 (5)— (5)— 3,597 18.33 49 0.25 
			 Kingston upon Thames 13,105 85.64 (5)— (5)— 3,003 19.62 28 0.18 
			 Lambeth 38,868 144.42 15 0.06 8,344 31.00 127 0.47 
			 Lewisham 32,150 129.92 4 0.02 8,062 32.58 106 0.43 
			 Merton 16,078 82.56 5 0.03 3,361 17.26 42 0.22 
			 Newham 35,597 144.57 14 0.06 7,578 30.78 96 0.39 
			 Redbridge 24,646 98.00 (5)— (5)— 4,323 17.19 52 0.21 
			 Richmond upon Thames 13,408 71.98 (5)— (5)— 2,122 11.39 24 0.13 
			 Southwark 39,713 154.12 10 0.04 8,435 32.74 118 0.46 
			 Sutton 15,408 86.71 (5)— (5)— 2,989 16.82 33 0.19 
			 Tower Hamlets 32,627 153.05 3 0.01 7,727 36.25 103 0.48 
			 Waltham Forest 28,927 129.10 4 0.02 6,052 27.01 74 0.33 
			 Wandsworth 30,039 106.75 9 0.03 5,647 20.07 81 0.29 
			 Total 916,726 122.09 (5)— (5)— 181,830 24.22 2,301 0.31 
			 Total London(4) 929,752 123.67 (5)— (5)— 183,321 24.39 2,312 0.31 
			 Total England 5,093,395 101.00 719 0.01 976,638 19.37 13,135 0.26 
		
	
	
		
			   Robbery of personal property  Robbery of business property  Burglary in a dwelling 
			   Offences recorded  Rate per 1,000 population  Offences recorded  Rate per 1,000 population  Offences recorded  Rate per 1,000 population 
			 Barking and Dagenham 704 4.28 101 0.61 1,196 7.27 
			 Barnet 935 2.84 128 0.39 2,467 7.48 
			 Bexley 388 1.76 60 0.27 1,105 5.02 
			 Brent 2,036 7.54 108 0.40 2,289 8.48 
			 Bromley 990 3.28 125 0.41 1,996 6.61 
			 Camden 1,516 6.70 81 0.36 2,515 11.12 
			 City of Westminster 1,697 6.94 59 0.24 1,448 5.93 
			 Croydon 1,653 4.82 176 0.51 2,099 6.12 
			 Ealing 2,280 7.56 79 0.26 2,693 8.92 
			 Enfield 1,385 4.94 122 0.43 2,390 8.52 
			 Greenwich 1,382 6.06 97 0.43 1,929 8.46 
			 Hackney 1,570 7.56 115 0.55 1,841 8.86 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 1,108 6.16 64 0.36 2,118 11.78 
			 Haringey 1,804 8.04 142 0.63 2,709 12.07 
			 Harrow 728 3.40 41 0.19 1,334 6.23 
			 Havering 469 2.07 80 0.35 1,175 5.19 
			 Hillingdon 874 3.46 100 0.40 1,874 7.42 
			 Hounslow 822 3.87 47 0.22 1,671 7.86 
			 Islington 1,381 7.56 107 0.59 2,450 13.41 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 764 3.89 23 0.12 1,385 7.06 
			 Kingston upon Thames 281 1.84 21 0.14 515 3.37 
			 Lambeth 2,674 9.94 237 0.88 2,774 10.31 
			 Lewisham 2,477 10.01 158 0.64 2,492 10.07 
			 Merton 549 2.82 49 0.25 997 5.12 
			 Newham 2,273 9.23 247 1.00 2,155 8.75 
			 Redbridge 1,206 4.80 147 0.58 2,107 8.38 
			 Richmond upon Thames 387 2.08 21 0.11 1,053 5.65 
			 Southwark 2,477 9.61 218 0.85 2,373 9.21 
			 Sutton 374 2.10 39 0.22 657 3.70 
			 Tower Hamlets 1,829 8.58 79 0.37 1,638 7.68 
			 Waltham Forest 1,802 8.04 152 0.68 1,854 8.27 
			 Wandsworth 1,636 5.81 88 0.31 2,634 9.36 
			 Total 42,451 5.65 3,311 0.44 59,933 7.98 
			 Total London(4) 42,497 5.65 3,315 0.44 59,970 7.98 
			 Total England 88,681 1.76 9,382 0.19 281,704 5.59 
		
	
	
		
			   Burglary in a building other than a dwelling  Offences against vehicles( 2)  All racially/religiously aggravated crime( 3) 
			   Offences recorded  Rate per 1,000 population  Offences recorded  Rate per 1,000 population  Offences recorded  Rate per 1,000 population 
			 Barking and Dagenham 921 5.60 3,091 18.79 368 2.24 
			 Barnet 1,437 4.36 5,468 16.59 287 0.87 
			 Bexley 971 4.41 2,196 9.97 283 1.28 
			 Brent 1,041 3.85 4,642 17.19 185 0.68 
			 Bromley 1,592 5.27 4,433 14.68 241 0.80 
			 Camden 1,807 7.99 5,553 24.56 391 1.73 
			 City of Westminster 2,353 9.63 4,336 17.74 439 1.80 
			 Croydon 1,365 3.98 4,366 12.74 191 0.56 
			 Ealing 1,264 4,19 6,820 22.60 292 0.97 
			 Enfield 1,248 4.45 4,357 15.53 200 0.71 
			 Greenwich 1,312 5.75 3,786 16.59 435 1.91 
			 Hackney 846 4.07 4,373 21.05 238 1.15 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 614 3.41 4,192 23.31 200 1.11 
			 Haringey 850 3.79 4,499 20.04 158 0.70 
			 Harrow 625 2.92 2,707 12.65 154 0.72 
			 Havering 1,336 5.91 3,799 16.79 160 0.71 
			 Hillingdon 1,308 5.18 5,416 21.46 362 1.43 
			 Hounslow 923 4.34 4,197 19.75 289 1.36 
			 Islington 1,278 7.00 4,886 26.75 305 1.67 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 797 4.06 3,171 16.16 189 0.96 
			 Kingston upon Thames 523 3.42 1,231 8.04 149 0.97 
			 Lambeth 911 3.39 4,310 16.01 264 0.98 
			 Lewisham 1,087 4.39 3,962 16.01 384 1.55 
			 Merton 831 4.27 2,156 11.07 139 0.71 
			 Newham 1,216 4.94 6,561 26.65 246 1.00 
			 Redbridge 946 3.76 4,789 19.04 175 0.70 
			 Richmond upon Thames 1,032 5.54 2,193 11.77 77 0.41 
			 Southwark 1,714 6.65 5,050 19.60 287 1.11 
			 Sutton 794 4.47 2,405 13.53 155 0.87 
			 Tower Hamlets 1,252 5.87 4,334 20.33 537 2.52 
			 Waltham Forest 1,262 5.63 5,290 23.61 218 0.97 
			 Wandsworth 1,309 4.65 4,361 15.50 189 0.67 
			 Total 36,765 4.90 132,930 17.70 8,187 1.09 
			 Total London(4) 37,160 4.94 133,419 17.75 8,290 1.10 
			 Total England 312,625 6.20 719,031 14.26 37,157 0.74 
			 (1) includes offences of murder, manslaughter and infanticide. (2) includes offences of aggravated vehicle taking, theft of or from vehicle and interfering with a motor vehicle. (3) includes racially/religiously aggravated offences of less serious wounding, harassment, assault without injury, criminal damage to a dwelling, criminal damage to a building other than a dwelling, criminal damage to a vehicle and other criminal damage. (4) includes the City of London police and the Metropolitan Police Service. (5) in accordance with guidance from the Office for National Statistics, values less than 3 have been suppressed in order to protect confidentiality. Therefore total values can not be calculated.

Crime

Boris Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many recorded crimes there were per police officer in  (a) England,  (b) London and  (c) each London borough in each year since 1997.

Vernon Coaker: The available information is given in the tables. Information for London boroughs is not available centrally prior to 2002-03.
	
		
			  Table 1: Recorded off ences per police officer (FTE)  1997 
			   Number 
			 Total London(1, 2) 29 
			 Total England(2) 37 
			 (1). includes the City of London police and the Metropolitan Police service (also includes those officers who work in central services and Heathrow).  (2). Total police officer strength figures are based on full-time equivalent figures that have been rounded to the nearest whole number. These figures exclude those officers on career breaks or maternity/paternity leave. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Recorded offences per police officer (FTE) 1998-99 to 2001-02( 1,2) 
			   1998-99  1999-2000  2000-01  2001-02 
			 Total London(3, 4) 35 39  40 
			 Total England(4) 41 44 42 44 
			 (1). The coverage was extended and counting rules revised from 1998/99. Figures from that date are not directly comparable with those for 1997.  (2). The data in this table is prior to the introduction of the National Crime Recording Standard. These figures are not directly comparable with those for later years.  (3). Includes the City of London police and the Metropolitan Police Service (also includes those officers who work in Central Services and Heathrow Airport).  (4). Total police officer strength figures are based on full-time equivalent figures that have been rounded to the nearest whole number. These figures exclude those officers on career breaks or maternity/paternity leave. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 3 Recorded offences per police officer (FTE) 2002-03 to 2006-07( 1) 
			   
			  London borough( 2)  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 Barking and Dagenham 57 58 51 52 50 
			 Barnet 66 67 68 63 54 
			 Bexley 63 60 49 55 46 
			 Brent 54 52 52 53 45 
			 Bromley 73 67 63 64 58 
			 Camden 75 64 53 49 52 
			 City of Westminster 55 48 49 46 42 
			 Croydon 62 56 51 50 46 
			 Ealing 62 54 53 55 54 
			 Enfield 61 56 49 49 46 
			 Greenwich 52 54 52 51 47 
			 Hackney 58 51 46 45 42 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 59 55 52 47 45 
			 Haringey 62 54 52 49 44 
			 Harrow 65 55 53 50 45 
			 Havering 63 65 56 57 52 
			 Hillingdon 64 61 56 56 57 
			 Hounslow 70 64 55 54 47 
			 Islington 63 60 56 54 52 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 60 52 48 43 43 
			 Kingston upon Thames 53 59 53 49 45 
			 Lambeth 56 53 47 42 41 
			 Lewisham 50 50 54 51 52 
			 Merton 59 55 49 49 43 
			 Newham 59 52 47 50 47 
			 Redbridge 73 65 57 52 53 
			 Richmond upon Thames 59 54 53 51 44 
			 Southwark 55 53 49 47 47 
			 Sutton 56 58 58 52 50 
			 Tower Hamlets 60 52 48 44 43 
			 Waltham Forest 66 58 54 54 53 
			 Wandsworth 65 55 54 50 50 
			 Total(3) 61 56 52 50 48 
			   
			 Total London(4, 5) 38 35 32 32 29 
			 Total England(5) 45 44 40 40 38 
			 1. The data in this table takes account of the introduction of the National Crime Recording Standard in April 2002. These figures are not directly comparable with those for earlier years.  2. Police officer strength figures are only available by borough from 2002-03. These figures are based on full-time equivalent figures that have been rounded to the nearest whole number and include those officers on career breaks and maternity/paternity leave.  3. Total figures for all London boroughs excludes the crimes recorded and the police officers who work at Heathrow Airport. Officers who work in Central Services (headquarters) have also been excluded from the figures.  4. Includes the City of London police and the Metropolitan Police Service (also includes those officers who work in central Services and Heathrow Airport).  5. The total police officer strength figures for London and England exclude those officers on career breaks or maternity/paternity leave.

Crime

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many recorded instances of  (a) rape and  (b) domestic violence there were in each year since 1997 in England and Wales, broken down by police force area; and what the clear-up rates of such crimes were in each year in each area.

Vernon Coaker: From the information collected centrally on recorded crime, it is not possible to identify recorded cases of domestic violence. Such offences are not specifically defined by law and details of the individual circumstances of offences are not collected.
	Data for the number of recorded instances of rape and the clear-up/detection rate for these crimes is available for the 1997 calendar year and from 1998-99 in financial years. This followed a revision to the counting rules for recorded crime and the expanded coverage which came into effect on 1 April 1998. The figures were also affected by the revised detections guidance issued in April 1999 which formalised detection procedures, placing a greater emphasis on the evidential basis on which detections can be claimed.
	The figures were also affected by the introduction of the National Crime Recording Standard in April 2002, which required the police to record a crime unless there was "no credible evidence to the contrary". The Sexual Offences Act 2003 in May 2004 also altered the definition and coverage of sexual offences, including rape. All of these changes mean that detection rates are not comparable over these time period.
	The Home Office carried out research published in July 2007 which found that the reduction in detection rates was likely to be largely due to changes in recording practices resulting from the introduction of the National Crime Recording Standard, counting rules and detections guidance ('Investigating and detecting recorded offences of rape', Home Office Online Report 18/07).
	New performance management arrangements have been introduced for the police and CPS on the investigation and prosecution of rape. The Home Office and Association of Chief Police Officers are also providing operational support to police forces on the implementation of recommendations from 'Without Consent', the rape inspection published in January 2007.
	
		
			  Offences recorded by the police and detection rates( 1 ) for rape offences by police force area 
			   1997  1998-99( 2)  1999-2000( 3)  2000-01  2001-02 
			  Police force area  Offences recorded  Detection rate  Offences recorded  Detection rate  Offences recorded  Detection rate  Offences recorded  Detection rate  Offences recorded  Detection rate 
			 Avon and Somerset 219 86 175 74 181 62 199 43 323 27 
			 Bedfordshire 81 70 66 56 96 43 85 34 92 25 
			 Cambridgeshire 73 79 84 62 105 56 106 50 156 46 
			 Cheshire 101 100 108 98 62 87 80 86 74 81 
			 Cleveland 37 89 56 91 51 73 37 59 54 65 
			 Cumbria 33 97 43 93 34 91 37 70 47 74 
			 Derbyshire 75 93 108 73 109 52 107 38 120 39 
			 Devon and Cornwall 164 92 178 89 165 96 184 77 181 49 
			 Dorset 68 94 55 78 66 50 80 36 122 39 
			 Durham 71 93 60 95 66 85 46 91 78 n/a 
			 Dyfed-Powys 58 95 43 91 55 89 47 109 49 76 
			 Essex 130 79 187 65 196 64 166 50 202 33 
			 Gloucestershire 36 89 54 69 70 66 90 70 53 57 
			 Greater Manchester 432 85 537 74 548 64 544 58 574 55 
			 Gwent 98 100 91 91 106 92 87 98 106 93 
			 Hampshire 199 79 180 99 249 65 274 58 303 53 
			 Hertfordshire 68 88 51 96 68 78 86 66 87 62 
			 Humberside 156 65 127 58 170 33 142 37 166 33 
			 Kent 152 92 169 85 145 90 187 57 186 56 
			 Lancashire 158 91 154 83 148 79 200 53 194 47 
			 Leicestershire 97 72 152 43 150 37 147 37 159 n/a 
			 Lincolnshire 54 124 65 82 63 87 75 67 111 50 
			 London, City of 0 0 4 0 (6)— 0 (6)— 50 9 22 
			 Merseyside 175 90 190 78 237 69 241 66 283 53 
			 Metropolitan Police 1,741 58 1,993 32 2,270 28 2,189 24 2,492 27 
			 Norfolk 73 68 99 94 89 37 114 35 120 36 
			 Northamptonshire 56 96 60 82 44 95 60 70 97 64 
			 Northumbria 125 85 275 68 249 61 227 50 290 43 
			 North Wales 95 89 73 92 96 85 101 59 128 35 
			 North Yorkshire 38 87 42 105 42 62 49 73 71 59 
			 Nottinghamshire 154 83 163 55 237 46 247 51 251 36 
			 South Wales 123 99 169 93 130 88 125 91 126 90 
			 South Yorkshire 113 96 108 79 126 88 127 75 121 72 
			 Staffordshire 104 86 114 68 184 39 197 38 210 35 
			 Suffolk 82 74 89 73 84 29 100 36 116 30 
			 Surrey 59 56 69 48 83 45 126 28 118 42 
			 Sussex 124 80 197 55 215 47 261 34 235 35 
			 Thames Valley 165 90 195 59 233 52 271 26 291 32 
			 Warwickshire 29 79 29 79 20 55 25 52 30 30 
			 West Mercia 116 91 103 87 92 64 106 56 173 44 
			 West Midlands 264 77 396 68 513 59 565 53 608 45 
			 West Yorkshire 361 90 437 83 480 76 376 71 439 55 
			 Wiltshire 71 96 88 73 81 68 78 31 89 46 
		
	
	
		
			   2002-03( 4)  2003-04  2004-05( 5)  2005-06  2006-07 
			  Police force area  Offences recorded  Detection rate  Offences recorded  Detection rate  Offences recorded  Detection rate  Offences recorded  Detection rate  Offences recorded  Detection rate 
			 Avon and Somerset 429 22 482 21 471 18 310 22 430 20 
			 Bedfordshire 121 29 147 21 163 23 195 23 149 15 
			 Cambridgeshire 200 29 232 15 236 21 200 22 209 15 
			 Cheshire 110 48 184 29 197 28 181 28 170 30 
			 Cleveland 110 41 145 31 143 22 171 38 140 34 
			 Cumbria 66 64 74 30 79 30 77 35 73 47 
			 Derbyshire 198 35 233 33 273 31 282 30 284 21 
			 Devon and Cornwall 275 30 329 19 388 26 400 18 395 19 
			 Dorset 132 25 144 17 163 17 181 17 132 27 
			 Durham 62 68 72 71 91 60 158 26 83 43 
			 Dyfed-Powys 46 91 101 25 101 35 85 18 102 28 
			 Essex 294 32 335 29 334 27 384 25 355 25 
			 Gloucestershire 122 31 107 28 115 29 161 19 160 21 
			 Greater Manchester 719 46 846 32 899 30 842 31 837 31 
			 Gwent 148 80 82 78 112 52 126 40 145 36 
			 Hampshire 358 41 462 34 616 26 656 21 662 19 
			 Hertfordshire 169 50 161 50 184 38 211 41 199 28 
			 Humberside 258 23 350 20 329 22 350 23 291 24 
			 Kent 216 38 286 27 358 22 445 22 395 23 
			 Lancashire 245 52 270 35 285 37 326 35 288 37 
			 Leicestershire 257 26 250 28 308 23 307 19 298 20 
			 Lincolnshire 137 40 163 28 178 31 187 24 155 24 
			 London, City of 3 100 4 0 7 0 6 0 8 0 
			 Merseyside 340 47 383 43 374 35 378 24 298 28 
			 Metropolitan Police 2,728 29 2,571 33 2,446 25 2,398 36 2,304 34 
			 Norfolk 185 24 204 18 190 21 230 23 165 24 
			 Northamptonshire 176 53 163 37 127 32 159 33 162 25 
			 Northumbria 341 36 338 30 344 25 359 29 345 33 
			 North Wales 114 26 140 29 159 27 170 25 106 16 
			 North Yorkshire 131 43 120 41 137 41 145 34 135 41 
			 Nottinghamshire 239 34 303 27 254 36 265 27 255 31 
			 South Wales 189 62 191 53 185 60 216 29 273 28 
			 South Yorkshire 190 40 182 38 287 30 338 24 267 27 
			 Staffordshire 251 40 248 32 306 30 292 26 285 24 
			 Suffolk 148 30 172 26 180 21 207 25 175 20 
			 Surrey 129 32 144 35 129 26 139 32 138 29 
			 Sussex 348 26 305 24 458 15 424 21 440 15 
			 Thames Valley 365 27 436 18 401 24 448 22 437 19 
			 Warwickshire 62 27 80 19 85 25 86 19 110 17 
			 West Mercia 219 37 226 35 214 31 233 27 220 20 
			 West Midlands 746 41 816 32 973 25 943 29 912 23 
			 West Yorkshire 553 42 626 31 580 25 604 25 617 19 
			 Wiltshire 155 37 139 41 111 32 148 33 157 18 
			 n/a = not available (1) Offences detected in current year may have been initially recorded in an earlier year, so some percentages may exceed 100. (2) Expanded offence coverage and revised counting rules came into effect on 1 April 1998. (3) Revised detections guidance was implemented on 1 April 1999. (4) The data in this table take account of the introduction of the National Crime Recording Standard in April 2002. These figures are not directly comparable with those for earlier years. (5) The Sexual Offences Act 2003, introduced in May 2004, altered the definition and coverage of sexual offences. (6) In accordance with guidance from the Office for National Statistics, values less than 3 have been suppressed in order to protect confidentiality. 
		
	
	—continued

Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of face the people sessions conducted by crime and disorder reduction partnerships (CDRPs); and what guidance her Department issues to CDRPs on the conduct of such sessions.

Vernon Coaker: The new statutory requirements for crime and disorder reduction partnerships (CDRPs), contained in the Crime and Disorder (Formulation and Implementation of Strategy) Regulations 2007, state that each CDRP must hold one or more public meeting a year which can be described as 'face the people' sessions. These regulations came into force in England on 1 August and in Wales on 19 November.
	The Home Office does not intend to assess the effectiveness of CDRP public meetings or 'face the people' sessions specifically. As part of the ongoing performance support provided to CDRPs, the Home Office will continue to review the effectiveness of all CDRPs as they deliver the new statutory requirements.
	Guidance to support partnerships hold effective public meetings is contained within the recently published "Delivering Safer Communities: A guide to effective partnership working". This gives advice and examples of best practice to help partnerships on all aspects of the new requirements including a section on holding public meetings. The guidance document is available on the Crime Reduction website at:
	http://crimereduction.homeoffice.gov.uk/guidance_for_effective_partnerships.pdf.

Departmental Catering

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of  (a) beef,  (b) lamb,  (c) pork and  (d) dairy products used in her departmental headquarters were imported products in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Liam Byrne: I refer the hon. Member to the data published in the report deposited in the House of Commons' Library on 8 November 2007 that gives the proportion of UK produce supplied to Government Departments, NHS and HM Prison Service. The House were told of the report in a written ministerial statement by Jonathan Shaw, the Minister for Marine, Landscape and Rural Affairs and Minister for the South East. A copy of the report is also available on the PSFPI website at:
	http://www.defra.gov.uk/farm/policy/sustain/procurement/pdf/govt-food-usage.pdf.

Departmental Pay

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people in her Department earned over £100,000 in each year since 1997.

Liam Byrne: The following table shows the number of people, including public appointments, to the Home Office whose gross salary exceeded £100,000.00 for the financial years from 2000-01 to 2006-07. The Home Office changed its payroll system in July 2001 and electronic records are not available for previous financial years. Individuals who have left the Department are also listed separately for clarity as a single post may have been occupied by more than one individual during a financial year.
	
		
			  Number of people whose gross salary exceeded £100,000.00 
			   Total  Number of total who left the Department during the year 
			 2000-01 11 2 
			 2001-02 20 8 
			 2002-03 24 3 
			 2003-04 26 3 
			 2004-05 38 10 
			 2005-06 47 6 
			 2006-07 56 12

Deportation

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people had their removal delayed by application for judicial review in each of the last three years; and what proportion of cases before the Appeal Court they comprised.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 26 November 2007
	The numbers of people who have had their removal delayed by an application for judicial review in the last three years are:
	
		
			   Number 
			 November 2004-October 2005 1,539 
			 November 2005-October 2006 1,658 
			 November 2006-October 2007 2,667 
		
	
	These figures have been obtained from internal management information and may be subject to change.
	The Border and Immigration Agency do not have the information to answer 'what proportion of cases before the Appeal Court they comprised.'

Frontiers: Security

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress has been made on procurement for the e-borders system; and what the planned extent of the system is.

Liam Byrne: A contract to deliver e-Borders was awarded to the Trusted Borders consortium led by Raytheon Systems Ltd on 14 November 2007. e-Borders is a multi-agency programme, led by the Border and Immigration Agency in partnership with HM Revenue and Customs, UKvisas and the police service, working with the security and intelligence agencies. Its main purpose is the collection and analysis of passenger, service and crew data provided by carriers (air, sea and rail), in respect of all journeys to and from the United Kingdom in advance of travel, supporting an intelligence led approach to operating border controls.
	Information gathered by e-Borders will provide crucial aid to security and counter terrorist work, providing the capability to risk assess all passengers and allowing the authorities to intervene, where necessary, against those considered to be high risk.

Police: Manpower

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the total pay costs were of  (a) Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary,  (b) the National Police Improvement Agency,  (c) the Police Standards Unit and  (d) the Independent Police Complaints Commission in each year since their inception; and how many staff worked in each organisation in each year.

Tony McNulty: The total pay costs are as follows:
	 (a) Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC)
	
		
			£ million 
			   Total staff  Total pay 
			 2006-07 137 8.9 
			 2005-06 129 7.1 
			 2004-05 128 7.0 
			 2003-04 128 6.1 
			 2002-03 — 5.8 
			 2001-02 — 5.6 
			 2000-01 — 4.5 
			 1999-2000 — 3.7 
			 1998-99 — 3.7 
			 1997-98 — 3.9 
		
	
	The first HMIs were appointed under the provisions of the County and Borough Police Act 1856. However, numbers prior to 1997-98 are not readily available.
	HMIC has been unable to provide complete staff numbers because changes in IT systems has meant data is not readily available prior to 2003-04.
	Total staff numbers include HO and seconded staff.
	 (b) National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA)
	
		
			£ million 
			   Total staff  Total pay budget 
			 2007-08 1,834 89.9 
		
	
	The NPIA was established by the Police and Justice Act 2006 and began its work in April 2007.
	As NPIA only commenced operations this financial year no annual cost information is yet available; we have therefore provided an indicative budget for the year.
	NPIA pay budget includes NPIA civilian employees, police and other secondees, along with agency staff.
	 (c) Police Standards Unit (PSU)
	
		
			£ million 
			   Total staff  Total pay costs 
			 2006-07 22 2.5 
			 2005-06 58 3.1 
			 2004-05 59 3.6 
			 2003-04 66 2.8 
			 2002-03 (1)— (1)— 
			 2001-02 29 0.645 
			 (1) Unavailable 
		
	
	The budget and staffing data for PSU is managed at directorate level along with a number of other Home Office units. Only the figure for 2006-07 is disaggregated, all the rest include the other units.
	In July 2007 the Police Standards Unit merged with the Partnership Performance Support Unit to form the Police and Partnership Standards Unit. The complement for the new unit is 33. The rationale for the merger is explained in the PCSD Director's Report 2006-07.
	 2001 - 02
	In response to a parliamentary question on 17 June 2002,  Official Report, column 108W, we stated that the costs from 1 July 01 to the 17 June 02 were £709,000. So an estimate for the financial year 2001-02 would be £645,000.
	 2002- 03
	We have been unable to locate data for 2002-03 within the timeframe available as data are stored on an old financial system.
	 2003-04 to 2005-06
	These figures include the Police Performance and Framework Team including iQuanta, and the policy team, which from 2006-07 were counted as separate units.
	 (d) Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC)
	Total pay costs for the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) is a matter for them.

Racial Violence

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many incidents of religious hate crime were recorded in each police force area in each of the last five years.

Tony McNulty: The available information relates to racially or religiously aggravated offences recorded by the police and is given in the table. It is not possible to identify separately those offences of a religious nature from those of a racial nature.
	
		
			  Racially or religiously aggravated offences 
			   Number of offences 
			  Police force area  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 Avon and Somerset 900 1,256 1,431 1,326 1,337 
			 Bedfordshire 169 207 266 339 308 
			 British Transport Police 402 652 946 1088 1188 
			 Cambridgeshire 410 384 398 322 351 
			 Cheshire 376 400 438 569 557 
			 Cleveland 145 251 288 528 464 
			 Cumbria 69 116 186 232 219 
			 Derbyshire 560 600 474 494 492 
			 Devon and Cornwall 496 588 694 818 801 
			 Dorset 177 166 254 214 291 
			 Durham 371 138 154 258 304 
			 Dyfed-Powys 96 126 154 118 167 
			 Essex 558 760 807 796 922 
			 Gloucestershire 210 167 215 283 326 
			 Greater Manchester 2,353 2,864 3,203 3,398 3,677 
			 Gwent 193 240 233 289 269 
			 Hampshire 317 415 570 1,120 1,326 
			 Hertfordshire 343 730 859 985 954 
			 Humberside 302 438 488 417 655 
			 Kent 547 480 609 798 935 
			 Lancashire 860 1,085 1,183 1,363 1,238 
			 Leicestershire 809 809 980 1,007 1,055 
			 Lincolnshire 136 179 169 200 143 
			 London, City of 71 60 48 75 83 
			 Merseyside 734 943 1,061 1,420 1,423 
			 Metropolitan Police 9,853 9,468 9,444 8,769 8,226 
			 Norfolk 203 268 333 343 340 
			 Northamptonshire 303 413 389 455 422 
			 Northumbria 934 974 886 834 924 
			 North Wales 288 278 331 396 356 
			 North Yorkshire 80 54 133 205 234 
			 Nottinghamshire 635 619 551 566 715 
			 south Wales 737 794 735 713 555 
			 South Yorkshire 242 259 471 1,032 1,037 
			 Staffordshire 466 600 646 805 889 
			 Suffolk 246 297 244 240 329 
			 Surrey 407 482 510 845 588 
			 Sussex 443 552 575 710 991 
			 Thames valley 948 1,104 1,154 1,128 1,483 
			 Warwickshire 159 187 222 293 375 
			 West Mercia 527 674 609 527 499 
			 West Midlands 2,422 2,479 2,413 3,071 3,338 
			 West Yorkshire 707 1,874 2,140 2,898 2,91 
			 Wiltshire 232 244 220 260 253 
			 England and Wales 31,436 35,674 38,114 42,547 43,730 
			 (1) Racially or religiously aggravated less serious wounding, harassment, assault without injury and criminal damage.

Registration of Births Deaths Marriages and Civil Partnerships

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she plans to provide updated guidance for the Certificate of Approval for marriage or civil partnership applications online.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 26 November 2007
	The guidance for Certificate of Approval for marriage or civil partnership applications was revised in 2006 and again in 2007 following court judgements, and these changes are reflected in the guidance currently available in the Library of the house and on
	www.ind.homeoffice.gov.uk/applying/generalcaseworking/coaformarriageorcivilpartnership
	and
	www.ind.homeoffice.gov.uk/applying/applicationforms/
	The Certificate of Approval scheme is subject to judicial review, and we will review the guidance and forms and make any amendments necessary in the light of the outcome of the judicial review.

Seasonal Agricultural Workers' Scheme

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the likely effect of the proposals in the Communication from the European Commission on circular migration and mobility partnerships between the European Union and third countries on the Government's review of the Seasonal Agricultural Workers scheme.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 19 November 2007
	While the Government recognises many of the principles underpinning the European Commission's communication for example close co-operation and dialogue between countries, it does not believe that the UK can benefit from encouraging low skilled migration from outside the European Union. There is sufficient labour within the enlarged EU to fill all low skilled vacancies including the Seasonal Agricultural Worker scheme.
	The SAWS quota for 2008 will be 16,250, and applications will only be accepted from Romania and Bulgaria.

Speed Limits: Fines

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many drivers were fined for speeding in  (a) England and Wales and  (b) in each police force area in each year since 1997; and how much was paid in fines in each area in each year.

Vernon Coaker: Information on the total revenue from speed limit convictions is not collected centrally.
	Available information collected centrally and held by the Ministry of Justice identifies the amount of court imposed fines for such offences within each police force area together with the number of fixed penalties offered. Not all fines and fixed penalties will have been paid.
	Available information from 1997 to 2005 (latest available) showing the total number of court imposed fines and fixed penalties notices issued for speeding offences in England and Wales and by police force area are provided in table A and B respectively.
	2006 data will be available next year.
	
		
			  Table A: number of fines( 1,2)  imposed at magistrates courts for speed limit offences( 3)  by police force area, England and Wales, 1997-2005 
			  Number of offences 
			  Police force area  1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005 
			 Avon and Somerset 7,738 5,643 3,532 4,344 5,709 4,974 6,815 6,923 6,358 
			 Bedfordshire 1,746 3,432 1,913 2,019 2,332 1,551 3,521 1,171 4,507 
			 Cambridgeshire 4,932 3,130 2,653 1,625 756 521 1,163 1,754 2,191 
			 Cheshire 2,709 3,839 3,621 4,591 3,899 3,969 3,088 4,153 2,793 
			 Cleveland 511 976 1,001 984 1,323 1,120 1,282 1,665 1,093 
			 Cumbria 2,073 2,181 2,068 1,521 1,548 1,604 2,002 2,366 2,549 
			 Derbyshire 3,366 3,854 4,209 4,933 6,005 3,685 3,527 3,329 2,853 
			 Devon and Cornwall 3,976 3,229 3,488 4,247 3,809 3,415 4,862 4,869 5,102 
			 Dorset 737 695 792 1,213 902 999 1,486 1,666 3,058 
			 Durham 345 408 905 1,364 1,749 1,603 1,042 716 391 
			 Essex 5,034 4,743 6,618 6,275 9,131 14,570 9,263 8,292 9,960 
			 Gloucestershire 2,343 1,796 1,509 2,131 1,835 877 800 786 750 
			 Greater Manchester 10,837 14,458 13,228 14,505 10,375 7,182 6,265 4,745 7,220 
			 Hampshire 5,565 6,316 7,146 5,995 5,416 4,949 5,270 4,237 5,050 
			 Hertfordshire 2,116 2,838 2,771 2,277 2,088 2,334 2,167 1,806 2,990 
			 Humberside 959 1,037 2,828 1,906 2,434 1,131 1,179 3,592 3,241 
			 Kent 1,533 3,548 1,814 2,245 2,367 1,670 2,995 3,223 3,636 
			 Lancashire 3,904 5,067 5,257 5,166 4,370 3,833 6,759 5,030 4,742 
			 Leicestershire 1,180 1,858 2,255 2,001 1,750 1,726 3,036 2,173 2,184 
			 Lincolnshire 1,880 2,103 3,874 3,528 4,131 3,692 4,257 4,356 4,362 
			 London, City of 125 232 232 163 101 560 1,137 1,790 6,200 
			 Merseyside 3,110 2,002 2,155 1,322 635 579 911 893 679 
			 Metropolitan Police 10,988 11,045 9,203 8,269 8,840 7,530 7,080 6,646 4,361 
			 Norfolk 1,225 1,380 1,697 1,374 1,449 1,269 2,372 2,764 2,824 
			 Northamptonshire 228 92 557 246 403 222 2,836 4,001 3,342 
			 Northumbria 2,100 2,304 2,569 3,519 2,352 2,555 2,207 3,770 2,886 
			 North Yorkshire 2,037 1,766 1,408 1,208 1,412 1,236 1,515 2,034 1,545 
			 Nottinghamshire 580 1,083 1,236 1,332 1,707 2,025 3,780 4,146 4,593 
			 South Yorkshire 2,235 2,304 2,265 2,484 2,587 1,776 1,181 2,584 4,040 
			 Staffordshire 2,663 3,196 3,239 1,815 929 1,091 2,220 4,449 4,408 
			 Suffolk 1,041 1,455 1,648 1,210 1,236 1,266 763 1,820 3,213 
			 Surrey 1,467 2,137 3,220 2,911 3,457 2,005 1,493 279 2,875 
			 Sussex 3,825 3,740 3,258 3,492 2,619 1,745 2,783 247 3,353 
			 Thames Valley 9,507 14,264 10,814 7,801 9,190 10,989 9,339 8,862 8,290 
			 Warwickshire 1,145 1,296 2,960 4,636 3,624 1,743 2,323 1,707 1,842 
			 West Mercia 2,259 2,305 2,259 2,696 2,586 2,214 1,320 383 2,023 
			 West Midlands 5,652 8,622 7,339 3,455 3,949 4,706 5,069 7,362 5,397 
			 West Yorkshire 3,738 4,245 5,553 5,619 4,442 2,295 3,349 4,263 5,204 
			 Wiltshire 4,484 5,428 5,669 2,301 2,163 2,678 4,037 4,022 4,180 
			 England 121,893 140,047 138,763 128,723 125,610 113,889 126,494 128,874 146,285 
			   
			 Dyfed Powys 634 767 771 913 650 614 1,548 1,231 1,904 
			 Gwent 4,728 6,349 7,393 4,036 2,813 2,238 2,645 2,270 2,094 
			 North Wales 1,364 1,538 1,594 2,810 2,655 3,834 4,319 4,597 4,612 
			 South Wales 1,986 2,651 2,706 2,706 1,754 1,980 2,924 4,146 3,350 
			 Wales 8,712 11,305 12,464 10,465 7,872 8,666 11,436 12,244 11,960 
			   
			 Total England and Wales 130,605 151,352 151,227 139,188 133,482 122,555 137,930 141,118 158,245 
			 (1) May include cases where a fixed penalty notice was issued and not paid and referred to court. (2) Magistrates courts data only. Fines given at the Crown Court total nationally (England and Wales) less than 20 each year. (3) Offences under the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 and the Motor Vehicles (Speed Limits on Motorways) Regulations 1973  Notes: 1. It is known that for some police force areas, the reporting of court proceedings in particular those relating to summary motoring offences are less than complete. 2. Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their limitations are taken into account when those data are used. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table B: fixed penalty notices issued( 1)  for speed limit offences( 2)  by police force area, England and Wales, 1997-2005 
			  Number of offences 
			  Police force area  1997  1998  1999( 3)  2000( 3)  2001( 3)  2002( 3)  2003( 3)  2004  2005 
			 Avon and Somerset 7,294 18,327 25,897 36,122 30,339 53,846 99,405 85,331 67,933 
			 Bedfordshire 8,700 10,255 18,008 16,707 13,415 40,338 66,709 56,762 44,736 
			 Cambridgeshire 14,837 13,818 14,562 8,708 6,777 15,435 28,510 19,802 44,997 
			 Cheshire 10,765 23,196 16,393 15,356 16,694 13,578 29,564 40,306 25,056 
			 Cleveland 3,239 10,734 7,717 23,228 24,160 25,264 24,729 19,939 24,912 
			 Cumbria 4,882 4,919 5,058 4,103 3,649 5,797 24,692 31,531 27,441 
			 Derbyshire 17,438 22,785 21,771 18,291 24,949 71,965 44,517 44,412 30,905 
			 Devon and Cornwall 36,150 32,757 33,682 28,091 33,389 31,144 63,916 91,662 53,474 
			 Dorset 11,172 14,738 14,815 18,305 19,605 18,686 63,185 71,832 79,522 
			 Durham 3,213 3,930 4,586 9,180 14,156 7,697 6,538 4,184 2,816 
			 Essex 48,123 19,282 38,097 56,010 87,038 101,063 66,281 68,852 85,745 
			 Gloucestershire 6,260 8,714 6,268 5,781 4,097 3,898 3,139 4,913 10,849 
			 Greater Manchester 54,694 51,145 64,318 59,765 50,448 35,861 44,903 43,531 59,478 
			 Hampshire 27,460 34,555 46,709 27,566 28,995 31,867 45,324 52,587 58,750 
			 Hertfordshire 17,604 14,063 25,687 23,956 23,474 23,203 28,696 61,637 49,738 
			 Humberside 9,735 13,759 12,671 22,209 17,228 13,399 25,755 52,288 48,494 
			 Kent 28,706 28,009 18,954 24,617 23,044 36,645 54,594 66,661 53,289 
			 Lancashire 23,813 32,810 35,335 29,683 27,993 158,163 96,660 63,233 63,568 
			 Leicestershire 5,612 9,729 8,791 8,094 7,750 17,903 45,417 26,357 7,281 
			 Lincolnshire 6,588 12,368 17,913 26,319 31,487 27,490 27,970 29,258 32,613 
			 London, City of 520 907 2,423 353 713 4,782 4,864 6,358 10,275 
			 Merseyside 11,808 15,373 15,968 7,385 4,100 6,484 8,883 8,058 18,411 
			 Metropolitan Police 45,488 36,690 32,061 54,843 58,412 53,334 80,213 104,920 126,426 
			 Norfolk 4,895 5,379 9,267 4,783 5,166 17,116 31,640 26,938 25,117 
			 Northamptonshire 3,722 8,836 7,772 34,809 79,627 60,459 49,902 49,108 47,866 
			 Northumbria 25,693 34,918 37,472 24,265 40,726 41,050 69,018 94,319 55,708 
			 North Yorkshire 11,679 9,924 6,908 5,295 7,436 5,412 5,836 5,971 4,923 
			 Nottinghamshire 4,625 6,289 5,512 23,766 24,556 35,771 53,276 53,188 53,696 
			 South Yorkshire 39,062 31,585 23,544 20,987 21,566 16,096 51,418 42,635 65,352 
			 Staffordshire 22,552 22,044 14,656 13,969 20,372 29,094 47,565 41,249 46,219 
			 Suffolk 7,271 12,640 18,088 12,596 12,416 9,477 16,606 40,847 40,029 
			 Surrey 5,340 10,252 11,035 12,072 10,424 6,052 7,057 8,200 17,509 
			 Sussex 25,124 24,862 22,370 24,990 18,513 23,550 60,364 45,619 58,606 
			 Thames Valley 53,285 62,827 46,034 71,888 154,524 121,677 123,586 92,834 97,049 
			 Warwickshire 1,857 2,510 2,745 2,099 3,136 14,999 27,737 34,206 40,401 
			 West Mercia 15,392 15,502 18,478 22,150 30,504 29,098 78,408 57,844 53,711 
			 West Midlands 9,378 11,586 9,546 5,668 15,806 17,762 43,542 58,052 46,612 
			 West Yorkshire 24,103 29,635 24,791 24,595 20,937 32,126 70,011 68,827 66,031 
			 Wiltshire 11,330 8,494 9,319 16,351 17,941 27,975 42,738 50,641 52,412 
			 England 669,409 730,146 755,221 844,955 1,035,562 1,285,556 1,763,168 1,824,892 1,797,950 
			   
			 Dyfed Powys 6,708 9,272 8,222 8,840 6,868 12,343 3,072 2,221 1,435 
			 Gwent 5,263 4,214 2,050 16,518 13,209 2,960 1,013 859 506 
			 North Wales 9,146 9,920 11,141 16,980 20,245 44,459 61,645 51,069 74,485 
			 South Wales 22,227 27,464 28,850 54,383 75,224 61,948 65,852 45,343 45,189 
			 Wales 43,344 50,870 50,263 96,721 115,546 121,710 131,582 99,492 121,615 
			   
			 Total England and Wales 712,753 781,016 805,484 941,676 1,151,108 1,407,266 1,894,750 1,924,384 1,919,565 
			 (1) Only covers notices paid where there is no further action. (2) Offences under the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 and the Motor Vehicles (Speed Limits on Motorways) Regulations 1973. (3) Revised since original publication following amendments received from forces.  Note: Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative systems generated by police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their limitations are taken into account when those data are used.

Youth Justice Board

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of Youth Justice Board projects to prevent youth crime and antisocial behaviour as part of the commitments under the Respect Action Plan.

Vernon Coaker: Since 2004, the Government have invested over £45 million in youth offending teams to fund targeted youth crime and antisocial behaviour prevention activities for young people at most risk.
	By November 2007 there were over 500 Safer Schools Partnerships (SSPs), 200 Youth Inclusion and Support Panels (YISPs), 110 Youth Inclusion Programmes (YIPs) and 120 Parenting Programmes. We estimate that over 25,000 children and young people received targeted support from these programmes during 2007.
	An evaluation by the university of Newcastle, published in October 2007, concluded that YISPs improved the mental health and school results of the young participants. A recent interim evaluation of YIPs concluded that they were responsible for a substantial reduction in offending and arrest rates for the most at risk. Evaluations of SSPs have shown they reduce truancy rates in comparison with non-SSP schools.
	A full independent evaluation of the YJB's prevention programmes by the university of York is due to present an interim report by March 2008.

Departmental Computers

David Gauke: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many of his Department's  (a) computers and  (b) laptops have been stolen in 2007; and what the value of those items was.

David Hanson: One office desktop computer and 26 laptops have been stolen from the Ministry of Justice in 2007. The total replacement value of these items is approximately £50,000.
	The losses were from a variety of location across England and Wales. There have been no reported security breaches.

Environment Protection: Fixed Penalties

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many and what percentage of fixed penalty notices issued for environmental offences were paid in full within the 14 day deadline in each year since 1999.

Jonathan R Shaw: I have been asked to reply.
	DEFRA does not collect data on the number of fixed penalty notices that were paid within the 14 day period.
	The number of fixed penalty notices issued and paid to local authorities since 1999 are shown in the following table.
	Figures for 2006-2007 will be published shortly.
	
		
			  April to March  Number. of fixed penalties issued by local authorities  Number of fixed penalties paid to local authorities 
			 1999-2000 2,970 1,563 
			 2000-01 2,247 1,226 
			 2001-02 2,311 1,954 
			 2002-03 12,820 4,898 
			 2003-04 7,567 3,871 
			 2004-05 25,216 11,371 
			 2005-06 33,033 18,002

Building Regulations: Digital Broadcasting

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  whether she plans to make any changes to the building regulations to support digital switchover;
	(2)  what standards or minimum requirements for digital television receiving infrastructure are included in the building regulations to support digital switchover;
	(3)  what estimate she has made of the proportion of newly-built dwellings for multiple occupation equipped with communal digital television receiving infrastructure.

Iain Wright: There are currently no requirements for the provision of digital television receiving infrastructure contained within the Building Regulations. Therefore, we do not collect any data on the proportion of newly-built dwellings equipped with communal digital television receiving infrastructure.
	We have considered changes to the Building Regulations to support the provision of data services, and the digital switchover. However, this is a fast-moving area of technology and we therefore consider it unsuited to prescriptive regulation which could quickly become out of date. In addition, a public consultation exercise undertaken by the Department in 2003 indicated a preference for a non-regulatory option.
	We are therefore working with industry on a non-mandatory good practice guidance document on data ducting infrastructure for new homes which we hope to publish shortly.

Community Relations: Religion

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the Statement of the Prime Minister of 14 November 2007,  Official Report, columns 667-72, on national security, how the £70 million for community projects devoted to countering extremism announced by the Prime Minister will be spent; and how much  (a) was spent in 2006-07 and  (b) will be spent in (i) 2007-08 and (ii) each of the next three years.

Parmjit Dhanda: In his statement of 14 November, my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister confirmed that £70 million is being invested in community projects that are dedicated to countering violent extremism over the next three years (financial years 2008-09 to 2010-11).
	My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State announced on 31 October that around £25 million of that would be invested in national schemes to directly support communities, including:
	Equipping faith leaders with the skills and understanding required to lead communities, building their capacity to engage with young people on the challenges they face, including extremism. For example, ensuring imams can communicate more effectively with young people;
	Support communities to broaden the provision of citizenship education in mosque schools, equipping young people themselves with the understanding and arguments to reject extremists' messages;
	Developing new minimum standards for public institutions (e.g. prisons, universities) engaging imams working with young or vulnerable people;
	Supporting the Charity Commission's work to improve governance standards in faith institutions, including mosques;
	Increase the provision of leadership training available to Muslim communities, particularly women and young people.
	Further announcements will be made as and when the details of the funding are decided.
	My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State also announced £45 million would be available to local authorities and their community partners. This will build on work funded by the Preventing Violent Extremism Pathfinder Fund in 2007-08, guidance on which can be found at www.communities.gov.uk/communities/preventingextremism. Further guidance will be issued is due course.
	On 26 November 2007, the Department for Communities and Local Government has allocated a budget of £8.7 million of programme funding for preventing extremism during the financial year 2007-08.
	In 2006-07 financial year £1.4 million of programme funding was spent on projects to prevent violent extremism by the Department for Communities and Local Government.

Community Relations: Religion

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the Statement of the Prime Minister of 14 November 2007,  Official Report, columns 667-72, on national security, which Muslim women were consulted on the new advisory group on Muslim women announced by the Prime Minister.

Parmjit Dhanda: The National Muslim Women's Advisory Group (NMWAG) is an independent informal group, which will advise Communities and Local Government on issues to empower Muslim women and increase their participation in civic, economic and social life.
	NMWAG comprises of a group of women who are in positions of leadership or are working with the communities. They will act as role models and represent the views and concerns of grass roots Muslim women.
	The group will formally be launched in January 2008.

Community Relations: Religion

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the Statement of the Prime Minister of 14 November 2007,  Official Report, columns 667-72, on national security, what the remit is of the new advisory group in relation to Muslim women announced by the Prime Minister; who she expects its members to be; what she expects its cost to be; and if she will make a statement.

Parmjit Dhanda: The National Muslim Women's Advisory Group (NMWAG) is an independent informal group, which will advise Communities and Local Government on issues to empower Muslim women and increase their participation in civic, economic and social life.
	NMWAG comprises of a group of women who are in positions of leadership or are working with the communities. They will act as role models and represent the views and concerns of grass roots Muslim women.
	Communities and Local Government has an allocation of £70 million over the next three years for preventing extremism. £45 million of this will be given to local authorities for community projects at the local level and £25 million will be used to support a wide range of national initiatives on a range of issues including the Women's Advisory Group. The exact allocation to this advisory group from this budget has not yet been decided. Actual running costs are expected to be minimal.

Construction

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many new commercial and public sector developments over 1,000 square metres were built in the UK in 2006.

Iain Wright: The information is not available in the precise form requested. Information from the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) shows that there were around 1,140 retail properties, offices (including offices for public sector use), factories and warehouses built in England and Wales in 2005 that were over 1,000 m(2). Certain public sector properties such as schools and hospitals are not included in information provided by the VOA and are therefore excluded from the figure. The figure of 1,140 includes properties that were significantly extended in 2005 (where the floorspace was more than doubled), as well as newly built properties. Information on properties built in 2006 will not be available until February 2008.
	Information from the VOA covers England and Wales only. Information on developments in Scotland and Northern Ireland would need to be requested from the respective administrations.

Council Housing: Energy

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance her Department provides to local authorities on sustainable ways of replacing windows in local authority-owned homes, with particular reference to the policy of Birmingham city council of replacing windows with UPVC double glazed units.

Iain Wright: Local authorities are responsible for investment decisions relating to their own stock. We have not issued guidance on sustainable ways of replacing windows in local authority-owned homes.

Crime Prevention

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government who the members are of the ministerial group to which the cross-departmental review on how best to engage communities in the fight against crime has been referred.

Edward Miliband: I have been asked to reply.
	The ministerial group comprises the Home Secretary (Chair), the Secretary of State for Justice, the Secretary of State for Children Schools and Families, the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, the Attorney-General and the Minister for the Cabinet Office.

Departmental NDPBs

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the  (a) budget and  (b) remit is of each non-departmental public body sponsored by her Department; who the chairman is of each; and to what salary, including bonuses and expenses, each chairman is entitled.

Hazel Blears: The most recent information can be found on the Cabinet Office website at:
	http://www.civilservice.gov.uk/documents/pdf/public_bodies/publicbodies2006.pdf
	We are currently in the process of collating information to 31 March 2007, which will be published on my Department's website in due course.

Departmental Public Participation

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what opinion polls the Department has conducted of  (a) the public and  (b) staff since 27 June 2007; and what the (i) name of the firm employed to conduct the poll, (ii) purpose and (iii) cost to the public purse was in each case.

Parmjit Dhanda: The information is as follows:
	Since 27 June:
	 (a) there are ongoing surveys and research on homebuying reform. Work undertaken to date by GfK cost 40,000 plus VAT;
	 (b) the Human Resources Directorate conducted the second of four quarterly staff surveys. This was undertaken by Ipsos Mori at a cost of 37,000 plus VAT and measured staff opinions on a range of internal management issues.
	In addition, we conducted a pilot employee engagement survey of 400 staff at a cost of £11,000 including VAT. This was undertaken by Ipsos Mori and will help the Department to assess the level of employee engagement and identify the key drivers which would increase engagement levels.

Homelessness: Expenditure

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much was spent in  (a) Wakefield and  (b) Hemsworth constituency on homelessness by (i) central Government and (ii) local authorities in each of the last five years.

Iain Wright: Since 2003-04, the majority of the Government's homelessness grants have been allocated to local authorities to support them in their work on tackling and preventing homelessness effectively. Previous to that time the majority of funding went direct to the voluntary sector. We do however continue to provide homelessness funding direct to some voluntary sectors, where appropriate.
	All local authority homelessness grants are allocated to individual councils and not constituency areas and it would be the responsibility of the local authority to spend this grant as they saw fit to tackle homelessness in its area.
	The following table contains the level of revenue funding allocated to Wakefield metropolitan district council over the last five years in respect of homelessness.
	
		
			  Homelessness funding—Wakefield 
			   Revenue funding allocated (£) 
			 2003-04 38,713 
			 2004-05 38,000 
			 2005-06 38,000 
			 2006-07 72,000 
			 2007-08 143,000 
		
	
	This year, we will also be providing Wakefield metropolitan district council with £20,000 under our Hostels Capital Improvement Programme for improvements to Castledene hostel.

Housing

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what assessment she has made of the likely effect on energy efficiency standards of proposed changes to grant levels for private sector housing renewal; and what discussions she has had with the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on this matter;
	(2)  what recent discussions she has had with the Department of Health on her Department's new proposals for private sector housing renewal.

Iain Wright: There are no new proposals for private sector housing renewal policy. ODPM circular 05/2003 "Housing Renewal" includes advice on how local authorities should link their housing renewal policies with social care, health, fuel poverty and energy efficiency strategies. £10.2 billion has been allocated by my Department for regional housing funding for 2008-11 for housing capital programmes including those which address the condition of private sector housing stock.
	No final decisions have been made on funding for private sector housing renewal. We are currently considering advice from the regional assemblies on funding priorities for their areas.

Housing: Construction

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps she is taking to ensure the availability of  (a) skills,  (b) manpower and  (c) materials to meet the target for building new homes; how she plans to ensure timely planning decisions are taken on those homes; and if she will make a statement.

Iain Wright: Chapter 11 of our 'Homes for the Future' Green Paper set out how Government intend to build capacity to meet the skills and construction challenges in supporting housing growth, while also supporting local people's skills needs. Officials in my Department and for the Departments of Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS), and for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR), are working closely with the main built environment Sector Skills Councils (SSCs) and other partners to take forward these commitments to ensure that we have the skills needed to support our plans for housing growth. In addition we will consider the implications for skills of the Callcutt review of housebuilding delivery, and what if any further actions may be needed.
	Chapter 2 of the Green Paper sets out how the planning system can support the goal of 240,000 new homes every year. Our White Paper "Planning for a Sustainable Future" also made clear that increasing the supply of housing is a key outcome for planning.

Housing: Domestic Safety

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance her Department has issued to local authorities on housing duties in respect of households in properties in the  (a) private,  (b) registered social landlord and  (c) local authority sectors which have been assessed as representing a category 1 hazard under the housing, health and safety rating system.

Iain Wright: The document "Housing Act 2004 - Enforcement Guidance: Part 1 Housing Conditions" (published 26 May 2006) sets out the legal situation, and what the Department expects of local authorities enforcing the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS).
	With regards to local authority housing stock, local authorities, as landlords, also need to ensure that their homes meet the decent homes standard. A home cannot be classed as decent if one or more category 1 hazards are present. The document "A Decent Home: Definition and guidance for implementation" (published 7 June 2006) provides guidance on this.

Housing: Repairs and Maintenance

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what changes she plans to expenditure on private sector housing renewal and repair; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  what assessment she has made of the effect of a change in grant support to private sector housing renewal and repair; and if she will make a statement.

Iain Wright: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave him today to Questions 167883 and 167884.

Housing: Standards

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans she has to amend her housing strategy following the adoption of the Decent Homes Standard after 2010; and if she will make a statement.

Iain Wright: In July my right hon. Friend the Minister for Housing and planning published the Housing Green Paper "Homes for the Future: more affordable, more sustainable"
	http://wwwcommunities.gov.uk/publications/housing/homesforfuture.
	The Housing Green Paper committed to delivering two million homes by 2016 and three million homes by 2020 by raising supply over time towards the 240,000 per year target in 2016.
	The growth by 2016 will include 100,000 new homes in 45 towns and cities that make up the 29 new growth points. We have committed to investing £1.7 billion for infrastructure in the growth areas over the next three years.
	During this parliamentary session, my right hon. Friend the Minister for Housing has brought forward a Housing and Regeneration Bill. The Bill received its Second Reading in the House on 27 November. It will create the new Homes and Communities Agency which will deliver more social and affordable housing, promote regeneration and facilitate the establishment of sustainable communities. The Agency will work with local authorities, housing associations and private developers to provide the housing and related infrastructure required. The Bill will also establish a new social housing regulator—the Office for Tenants and Social Landlords—which will drive up the quality of social housing provision by setting standards for housing associations, backed up by new intervention powers to secure improvements where landlords are failing.
	We are also providing at least £8 billion over the next three years to invest in affordable housing—initially through the Housing Corporation and then through the new Homes and Community Agency. This new investment which is an increase of 50 per cent. compared to the previous three years will help to deliver 70,000 affordable homes a year by 2010/11 of which 45,000 will be for social rent. The Housing and Regeneration Bill will also make changes to the housing revenue account subsidy system to enable local authorities to keep rental income from new homes to incentivise them to build where it is shown to provide value for money.
	Due to the positive response from local authorities and developers following the Green Paper we have increased the number of ecotowns schemes, by 2020 from five to 10. The entire community will be designed to reach zero carbon standards.
	We have also announced around £l billion for Housing Market Renewal pathfinder areas. The investment is aimed to continue to help develop practical solutions to address housing market weakness and tackle high vacancy rates, high population turnover, low demand for social rented housing and low sales value.
	The Housing Green Paper reaffirmed the Government's commitment to ensuring both councils and housing associations maintain their focus on improving the quality of their existing accommodation and delivering decent homes. We also committed to at least £2 billion investment in the Arms Length Management Organisation programme over the next spending period 2008-09 to 2010-11.
	We are also making some £10.2 billion available over the years 2008-11 through the regional housing pot. This is a very significant increase on the funding for the previous three years which totalled some £7.8billion. The funding will underpin our commitment to decent homes and increasing the supply of affordable housing.

Housing: Sustainable Development

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the basis was for the decision not to require new homes funded through the Housing Corporation from April 2008 to meet higher standard than Core Level 3 for Sustainable Homes.

Iain Wright: Code Level 3 is already a very high standard and significantly beyond current Building Regulations for Energy/CO2 emissions. For the Housing Corporation it will be a minimum requirement to build to Code Level 3 for the forthcoming 2008-11 Affordable Housing Programme. This ensures that Government-funded housing is leading the way in the drive towards sustainable housing. The energy requirements within Code Level 3 will become part of the Building Regulations in 2010.

Injunctions

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many injunctions have been  (a) sought and  (b) obtained under sections 26 and 27 of the Police and Justice Act 2006.

Iain Wright: The Police and Justice Act 2006 amended measures which have been available since summer 2004. My Department has requested that local authorities provide data on the number of antisocial behaviour injunctions (ASBIs) they have obtained from 2006-07. This data is not yet available.
	The Housing Corporation has collected data from Registered Social Landlords (RSLs) on the use of antisocial behaviour injunctions since 2005-06, where 758 are reported as having been granted.

Landlord and Tenant: Digital Broadcasting

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what role she plans for the proposed new Office for Tenants and Social Landlords in  (a) supporting access by tenants to digital television receiving systems and  (b) encouraging provision by landlords of communal digital television receiving systems for dwellings in multiple occupation.

Iain Wright: The recently introduced Housing and Regeneration Bill will create OFTENANT, the Office for Tenants and Social Landlords. It is too early to provide details on how it might support the successful delivery of the Digital Switchover programme in advance of its establishment. This will be a matter for the regulator once it is established, taking into account its remit of improving core housing services for tenants.

Landlord and Tenant: Digital Broadcasting

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps she is taking to encourage social landlords and local authority housing providers to upgrade communal television systems in advance of digital switchover.

Iain Wright: Responsibility for upgrading communal television systems is a matter for landlords in consultation with tenants. Digital UK is responsible for communicating with landlords and property managers in order to increase awareness and understanding about what they need to do to prepare for switchover.
	The Department continues to co-operate closely with the Department of Media, Culture and Sport, the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform and Digital UK in working to deliver a successful switchover programme.

Planning

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent meetings she or other Ministers in her Department have held with non-governmental organisations on planning reform; and what the outcome of such meetings was.

Iain Wright: Ministers have met with a wide range of non-governmental organisations on planning reform, principally as a result of the Planning White Paper. The Government summary of responses to the consultation on the White Paper is available in the Library of the House.

Planning: Renewable Energy

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether her Department plans to allow local authorities to take green tariffs into account when considering the carbon footprint of new developments.

Iain Wright: The Government are working with the public sector, business and voluntary organisations in assessing a number of options for solutions that will help to reduce the carbon emissions from new developments.
	Green supply tariffs have a role to play in contributing to the achievement of the Government's climate change goals. As such, the Government are committed to working with Ofgem to ensure consumers have accessible, transparent and user friendly information on the 'green electricity' tariffs available to them. Ofgem published a consultation paper on green tariffs "Cutting the green customer confusion" on 21 November.

Planning: Research

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what research  (a) commissioned and  (b) evaluated by her Department was taken account of in reaching the decision on new homes in the current plan period; and if she will make a statement.

Iain Wright: In order to respond to the Barker Review of housing supply, the Department commissioned the university of Reading to develop a theoretical affordability model that models the impact of different levels and regional distributions of housing supply on affordability. This research was published at the time of the Government's response to the Barker Review in November 2005, and is available on the Department's website:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/publication/housing/affordabilitytargetsimplications.
	Since then the university of Reading have continued to develop the model, and the Department will be publishing details of the latest version of this model in due course.
	The National Housing and Planning Advice Unit (NHPAU) has recently published a response to the Government's Housing Green Paper, which used this model to examine a range of housebuilding scenarios.
	In addition to the research outlined above a range of other evidence and analysis was used as part of the decision-making process underlying the Housing Green Paper announcement to build three million homes by 2020. This included the official household projections produced by the Department and examination of housing supply data and the regional plans existing at that time.

Regional Planning and Development: Northamptonshire

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what account was taken of the capacity of the A14 in setting housing development targets for north Northamptonshire; and if she will make a statement.

Iain Wright: The Milton Keynes and South Midlands Sub Regional Strategy (MKSM SRS) sets out the district level housing targets for North Northamptonshire. At the Examination in Public the Highways Agency accepted that possible capacity constraints on the A14 would need to be investigated further.
	Since then, North Northamptonshire Joint Planning Unit has been developing a Core Strategy which is currently at the Examination in Public stage and has worked closely with the Highways Agency who has been carrying out studies to look at online improvements and options for the potential widening of parts of the A14. The Highways Agency has presented information to the Examination in Public to show improvements that can be made to the A14 to meet the anticipated housing trajectory.

Regional Planning and Development: South West Region

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 12 September 2007,  Official Report, column 2138W, on Regional Planning and Development: South West Region, how much affordable housing she expects to be built in  (a) Forest of Dean constituency and  (b) Gloucestershire in the next five years.

Iain Wright: It is for each of the Gloucestershire Local Planning Authorities to determine both the need and the amount of affordable housing to be built in their areas, having regard to the planning guidance set out in PPS3 and the draft Regional Spatial Strategy. The Gloucestershire planning authorities are now in the process of preparing local development documents in which they will set an overall (i.e. plan-led) target for the amount of affordable housing to be provided in their areas.

Religion: Publications

John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what publications her Department and its predecessors have produced relating to faith communities since 1997.

Parmjit Dhanda: Since 1997, 20 publications have been produced by Communities and Local Government and its main predecessor organisations which relate predominantly to faith communities. The 20 publications focusing entirely on faith issues are:
	1. "Guidance on New Measures to Outlaw Discrimination on Grounds of Religion or Belief: (Part 2, Equality Act 2006)" Communities and Local Government, 2007.
	2. "2005 citizenship survey: race and faith topic report" Communities and Local Government, 2006.
	3. "Review of the Evidence Base on Faith Communities" Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, 2006.
	4. "Incitement to religious hatred" Home Office, 2006.
	5. "Working Together: Co-operation between Government and Faith communities—Progress Report" Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, 2005.
	6. "Ministers of Religion from abroad: second stage consultation" Home Office, 2005.
	7. "Community Cohesion Pathfinder Programme" Faith and Cohesion Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, 2004.
	8. "Working Together: Co-operation between Government and Faith Communities" 03m Faith Communities Unit Home Office, 2004.
	9. "Religion in England and Wales: findings from the 2001 Home Office Citizenship Survey" Home Office Research Study 274 Home Office Research, Development and Statistics Directorate, 2004.
	10. "Tackling Religious Discrimination: practical implications for policy makers and legislators" Home Office Research Study 221 Home Office Research, Development and Statistics Directorate, 2001.
	11. "Religious Discrimination in England and Wales" Home Office Research Study 220 Home Office Research, Development and Statistics Directorate, 2001.
	12. "Information about Ministers of Religion" Immigration and Nationality Directorate ISBN 1858935083 Home Office, 2001.
	13. "Transport requirements of minority ethnic and faith communities: research findings" Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, 2002.
	14. "A forum for faith communities and government" Department of Environment, Transport and the Regions, 2001.
	15. "Faith, communities and social work: shifting identities and changing realities" Department of Environment, Transport and the Regions, 1999.
	16. "The local inter faith guide: faith community co-operation in action" Department of Environment, Transport and the Regions in association with the Inter Faith Network for the UK, 1999.
	17. "Faith, communities and social work: shifting identities and changing realities: symposium report" Department of Environment, Transport and the Regions, 1999.
	18. "Involving communities in urban and rural regeneration: a guide for practitioners" (includes specific section on faith communities) Department of Environment, Transport and the Regions, 1997.
	19. "Challenging religious discrimination: a guide for faith communities and their advisers" Department of Environment, 1997.
	20. "Faith interaction: Inner Cities Religious Council newsletter" Department of Environment, 1993-98.

Rented Housing: Finance

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government for what reasons private sector housing renewal and grant support to those living in that sector are not included in the public service agreements for her Department.

Iain Wright: Progress to increase the proportion of vulnerable households living in decent homes in the private sector to 70 per cent. by 2010 is ahead of target. Progress on private sector renewal remains important work for my Department and will contribute to our departmental strategic objectives. We will continue to monitor progress through the English House Condition Survey.
	Local authorities' duties and responsibilities remain unchanged. Many services and activities undertaken by local government, alone or in partnership, are not directly reflected in the national indicator set but will continue to be important to local areas and the people they serve. We expect local authorities to continue to set priorities, determine performance indicators and monitor and review performance.

Social Rented Housing: Rents

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government who is responsible for setting the upper limit of social housing rent which each local authority is authorised to charge; how that upper limit is calculated; and if she will make a statement.

Iain Wright: Rent setting powers of local authorities are set out in section 24 of the Housing Act 1985. Local authorities are free to set whatever rents they consider reasonable. Government have no rent setting powers.
	When setting rents, local authorities will have regard to the 'guideline rent' for their authority. This is the notional rent that operates inside the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) subsidy system and is used to calculate the assumed rental income for the authority, that calculation forming part of the authority's overall entitlement to HRA subsidy. Each authority has its own guideline rent.
	Local authorities will also have regard to the 'limit rent' for their authority. This is the maximum level to which the Department for Work and Pensions will pay housing benefit on the dwellings in that authority.
	Guideline and limit rent is calculated using a formula that takes a number of factors into account, including the type and location of the housing authority's dwellings, local factors such as manual worker salaries in the county the authority is in and national factors such as inflation.

Tuberculosis: Leeds

John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many cases of tuberculosis there were in  (a) Leeds and  (b) Leeds, West constituency in each year since 1997.

Dawn Primarolo: I have been asked to reply.
	The number of reported tuberculosis cases in the Leeds local authority since 1997 is as follows:
	
		
			   Number 
			 1998 75 
			 1999 77 
			 2000 67 
			 2001 94 
			 2002 107 
			 2003 79 
			 2004 113 
			 2005 111 
			 2006 152 
			  Note: There are no data on the number of cases occurring in the Leeds West constituency, as this information is not collected on a constituency basis.  Source:  Health Protection Agency enhanced tuberculosis surveillance system.

Cyprus

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department has taken to encourage the reunification of Cyprus following the 2004 Annan plan.

Jim Murphy: In 2004, the UN plan for a comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus problem was approved by the Turkish Cypriots, but rejected by the Greek Cypriots. The UK continues to support a bi-zonal, bi-communal federation, established on the basis of political equality. We have fully supported the UN's efforts to restart settlement negotiations between the two communities on this basis and have lent our full support to the 8 July agreement between the two leaders.
	We engage fully with Turkey, Greece, the Republic of Cyprus and the Turkish Cypriot leadership, encouraging them to play a full and positive part in the settlement process. During her last visit to the island, my right hon. Friend the Member for Enfield, North (Joan Ryan), the UK's recently appointed Special Representative for Cyprus, urged both communities to show the flexibility and political courage required to bridge the gap between words and deeds.

Cyprus

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his Department's policy is on trade with Turkish-occupied northern Cyprus.

Jim Murphy: The EU made a commitment in April 2004, reiterated in January 2007, "to end the isolation of Turkish Cypriots and facilitate the reunification of the Cyprus" with "particular emphasis on the economic integration of the island and on improving contact between the two communities and with the EU". We fully support these objectives.
	The EU wants direct trade with northern Cyprus and the Government have supported the attempts of successive EU presidencies to realise this goal. We believe that this would bring Turkish Cypriots closer to Europe, slow the economic integration of northern Cyprus with Turkey, promote economic integration within Cyprus and reduce economic disparities between the two communities, so facilitating a settlement.

Cyprus

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate he has made of the number of Turkish troops situated in Cyprus; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Murphy: The Government estimates that there are between 20,000 and 30,000 Turkish troops in northern Cyprus. We believe that a reduction in the number of Turkish troops would help build trust on the island. A settlement would allow comprehensive demilitarisation of the island.

Cyprus

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress is being made on opening new crossing points over the green line in Cyprus, apart from Ledra Street; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Murphy: We strongly support the efforts of the UN to broker an agreement between the parties, which would permit the opening of the symbolic Ledra Street crossing, or other green line crossing points. This would constitute a significant confidence building measure. This message was reinforced in the resolution on Cyprus adopted by the UN Security Council on 15 June. Although there have been positive gestures by both sides, key issues, including the demarcation of the buffer zone at Ledra Street, remain. We continue to believe that further crossing points should be opened on the basis of arrangements used at existing crossing points and call upon all involved to extend their full co-operation to the UN.

Cyprus

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when the UK stopped providing data to the Republic of Cyprus authorities about movements of people from the North of Cyprus through the Sovereign Base Areas check points; for what reason this stopped; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Murphy: The Sovereign Base Areas (SBAs) provide all information at their disposal on the movement of people to the Republic of Cyprus. There is practical co-operation between SBA and Republic of Cyprus officials on a daily basis, and regular meetings take place between the SBAs, Republic of Cyprus and the European Commission where information on movement of persons and goods is exchanged.

Cyprus

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate he has made of the number of Turkish Cypriots  (a) resident in the south of Cyprus and  (b) visiting the south on a daily basis for work; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Murphy: The Government have not estimated the number of Turkish Cypriots who reside and work in the Republic of Cyprus.
	In the period 1 May 2006 to 31 April 2007, the EU Commission report on the Green Line Regulation reported that 1,348,215 Turkish Cypriots crossed from the northern part of Cyprus to the government-controlled area. This was broken down as 812,756 in the first six months and 535,459 in the second.
	We regret any reduction in contacts between the two communities. We believe that increased people to people contacts, and trade between the two communities and the rest of the EU, can make an important contribution towards solving the Cyprus problem.

Cyprus

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if the Government will make available to the UN Missing Persons Committee in Cyprus the information it holds on atrocities which result in the deaths of Greek Cypriots, Turkish Cypriots and foreign nationals between 1960 and 1974; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Murphy: Government records from this period deemed worthy of preservation are, with a few exceptions, housed at the National Archive where they are available to the public, free of charge. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office currently selects on average 40 per cent. of created files for preservation from which less than 1 per cent. are closed or retained (unavailable to the public).

Cyprus

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when the British High Commissioner for Cyprus last visited Rizo Karpasso in northern Cyprus; what assessment he made of the  (a) number,  (b) scale and  (c) reasons given for demolition of Greek Cypriot homes; what representations he made to the Turkish Cypriots; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Murphy: Our High Commissioner in Nicosia last visited the Greek Cypriot community in the Karpas on 22 June 2007 as part of a regular pattern of visits, which supplement the United Nations' humanitarian and monitoring activity. The issue of the demolition of Greek Cypriot homes was specifically discussed during this visit and subsequently with the Turkish Cypriot leadership. Our High Commission in Nicosia continues to urge the Turkish Cypriot leadership to respect the property rights of the enclaved Greek Cypriot communities.

Cyprus

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received of the statement by President Gul in Northern Cyprus that the island consists of two states, two peoples and two religions; what his policy on this matter is; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Murphy: Turkey has frequently expressed its support for a settlement in Cyprus on the basis of political equality and a bizonal, bicommunal federation, negotiated through the Good Offices of the UN Secretary-General. Our contacts with the Turkish Government, both before and after President Gul's comments, suggest that it is still their objective.
	The leaders of the two communities in Cyprus reached agreement on 8 July 2006 on steps designed to lead to a resumption of settlement negotiations. That agreement, which has the full support of the UK, UN Security Council and the international community, has yet to be implemented. During his recent meeting with the Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan, my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister underlined the importance of all parties seizing the opportunity for progress next year.

Cyprus

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether  (a) Famagusta and  (b) Kyrenia meet the requirements of the 2004 International Ships and Ports Facility Security Code; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Murphy: The Government have not formally assessed whether the ports of Famagusta and Kyrenia meet the requirements of the International Ship and Port Facility Security Code. The port facilities do not appear on the International Maritime Organisation's list of facilities with approved security plans.

Cyprus

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the impact on EU trade and shipping of the Turkish embargo on Cypriot and Cyprus associated shipping; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Murphy: The European Commission is responsible for monitoring the implementation of the acquis by Turkey and for providing evidence-based impact assessments on the accession process. The UK has made no detailed assessment of the impact on EU trade and shipping of the Turkish embargo on Cypriot and Cyprus associated shipping. However, the opening of Turkish ports to Cypriot shipping would clearly have important economic benefits for the region as a whole. The interdependence that accompanies trade, both on the island and between Cyprus and Turkey, has an important role to play in reunifying the island.

Cyprus

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to Turkey on their embargo on Cypriot shipping; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Murphy: The Government regularly raises with Turkey the importance of fulfilling its obligations to the EU. My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister did so when he met the Turkish Prime Minister on 23 October. The European Commission's annual progress report on Turkey, published on 6 November:
	http://ec.europa.eu/enlargement/pdf/key_documents/2007/nov/turkey_progress_reportts_en.pdf), evaluates Turkey's implementation of its obligations, including on the Ankara Agreement Protocol.

Cyprus

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received of the  (a) effectiveness of the bicommunal school in Limassol and  (b) proposals for Turkish Cypriots resident in Limassol of a separate school for Turkish Cypriot children; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Murphy: The UK is aware that ideas for a separate school for Turkish Cypriot children in Limassol have been discussed by the two communities. This is a longstanding issue. We hope that these discussions can produce agreement on how Turkish Cypriot children in Limassol can best be educated.

Cyprus

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to promote progress on the July 2006 Gambari Agreement in Cyprus; what assessment he has made of the obstacles to such progress; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Murphy: The UK fully supports the 8 July 2006 process. Time is not on the side of a settlement. Following his meeting with Prime Minister Erdogan in October, my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister made clear the importance of seizing the election free window of opportunity for progress towards a settlement in 2008. In addition, we continue to urge both sides to show the flexibility necessary for the technical committees and working groups envisaged under this agreement to begin work, and to prepare the ground for folly fledged settlement negotiations as soon as possible.

Cyprus

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate he has made of the rate of building on Greek Cypriot-owned land in Cyprus  (a) before and  (b) after the rejection of the Annan plan; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Murphy: The Government have not estimated the number of properties that have been built or which are under construction in Cyprus. However, property development in Cyprus has clearly accelerated since the rejection of the Annan plan, resulting in large numbers of new properties being built. The Government are concerned at the scale of such construction on Greek Cypriot owned land in Cyprus. Our high commission in Nicosia regularly raises the issue of property development with the Turkish Cypriot leadership. We believe that the difficult and complex issue of property is only likely to be fully resolved in the context of a comprehensive settlement and we urge both sides to engage constructively with the United Nations to enable settlement negotiations to start as soon as possible.
	In our contacts with the Turkish Cypriot leadership, we recognise the Turkish Cypriots' need for economic development in support of reunification. But we urge them to ensure that any property development which does take place does so in a manner that is both environmentally sustainable and does not complicate an eventual solution.

Cyprus

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the ability of the Turkish Cypriot economy to comply with standards required by the EU acquis communitaire; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Murphy: The Government have not made such an assessment. The history of the EU demonstrates the power of trade to promote economic prosperity and political reconciliation. The preliminary findings of the World Bank report from 2006 on the economy in Cyprus, were that the external constraints on access to EU markets for the Turkish Cypriot community were one of the two biggest constraints to economic development in Cyprus. I would endorse the conclusion that the long-term welfare of all Cypriots is in jeopardy if steps are not taken to ensure the convergence of living standards on the island. That is why we remain committed to supporting the Turkish Cypriots and the EU Commission in economic and regulatory reform, particularly through the aid regulation, and to supporting the EU presidency in its efforts to find a way for the Turkish Cypriots to trade directly with the EU.

Cyprus

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate he has made of the rate of migration from Turkey to the north of Cyprus  (a) before and  (b) after the rejection of the Annan plan; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Murphy: The Government do not have specific data concerning the rate of migration from Turkey to the north of Cyprus before and after the rejection of the Annan plan.
	However, a Turkish Cypriot census in April 2006 indicated that roughly 40 per cent. of the population of Cyprus is of Turkish or Turkish-mixed origin. This figure includes temporary workers and students but excludes soldiers and their families.

Pakistan: Politics and Government

John MacDougall: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the political situation in Pakistan.

Kim Howells: I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Milton Keynes, South-West (Dr. Starkey) on 12 November,  Official Report, column 41W.
	I welcome General Musharraf's announcement to hold elections on 8 January and that he has stepped down as Chief of the Army. But I urge him to lift the state of emergency, restore constitutional order and create the conditions for free and fair elections. There must be a level playing field for all political parties. We hope that Pakistan will rapidly meet the conditions which will allow its full membership of the Commonwealth to be restored.

Tibet: UN Resolutions

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he has taken to encourage the UN to give effect to UN Resolutions 1353 and 1723 on Tibet; and if he will make a statement.

Meg Munn: holding answer 26 November 2007
	We have not made representations to the UN on UN Resolutions 1353 (1959) and 1723 (1961) on Tibet. We do, however, regularly raise our concerns on Tibet directly with the Chinese government, including the need to respect and protect the fundamental rights and freedoms of the Tibetan people. We did this at the last round of the UK-China Human Rights Dialogue in London in February and continue to monitor the situation in Tibet closely.

Turkey: Foreign Relations

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the likely impact of the strategic partnership with Turkey on UK relations with  (a) Greece and  (b) Cyprus; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Murphy: The Republic of Cyprus and Greece have raised concerns and sought clarification about the strategic partnership document. We have reassured them that the UK remains fully committed to the reunification of the island and fully supportive of the 8 July 2006 process.
	In my statement published on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website on 31 October at:
	http://www.fco.gov.uk/servlet/Front?pagename=OpenMarket/Xcelerate/ShowPage&c=Page&cid=1007029391629&a=KArticle&aid=1193598399882
	I emphasised in the strongest terms that there is no change to our policy on the non-recognition of the so-called "Turkish Republic of Cyprus", and that the UK's priority is progress towards reunification, as envisaged by the 8 July Agreement. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary, following his meeting with Foreign Minister Bakoyannis on 6 November, reiterated this position.
	The concerns expressed by the Republic of Cyprus and Greece show that, while we share the same strategic objective of reunifying Cyprus, there are honestly held differences of opinion on how to achieve this. We continue to discuss all such differences of opinion.
	Both the Republic of Cyprus and Greece share the UK's desire of Turkish accession to the EU. Greece and the UK continue to support the 8 July process towards achieving a unified Cyprus. The UK shares many vital interests with both countries, and its bilateral relations with both countries are, as ever, very important.

Turkey: Foreign Relations

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on what basis negotiations with Turkey were conducted on the Strategic Partnership Agreement in relation to those parts of the agreement that relate to undertakings on behalf of the Turkish Cypriot community in Cyprus; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Murphy: The UK/Turkey Strategic Partnership (formerly UK/ Turkey Action Plan) is a formalised dialogue which has existed between the UK and Turkey since 2004. It draws together into one high-level bilateral document the breadth of co-operation across the two governments on a wide range of issues, including on climate change, trade, security, EU membership and counter-terrorism. It includes a section reiterating longstanding commitments to bring the Turkish Cypriot community closer to Europe.

Turkey: Foreign Relations

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assistance has  (a) been given and  (b) is planned to be given to Turkish Republic of Cyprus authorities and universities in relation to their engagement with the Bologna process as referred to in the Strategic Partnership Agreement with Turkey; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Murphy: Officials in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office are in contact with Turkish Cypriot academics on how to raise Turkish Cypriot educational standards. These contacts have sought to promote an exchange of ideas between educational establishments on practical issues. The aim is to ensure Turkish Cypriot universities are able to maintain standards comparable with those institutions that are members of the Bologna process.

Turkey: Foreign Relations

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what consultation was undertaken with leaders of the Turkish Cypriot community over the text of the Strategic Partnership Agreement with Turkey, insofar as it refers to Turkish Cypriots; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Murphy: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave him today (UIN 162759).
	Leaders of the Turkish Cypriot community were not consulted over the bilateral UK/Turkey Agreement.

Turkey: Foreign Relations

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action he plans to take to uphold the right to representation of Turkish Cypriots in the European Parliament as referred to in the Strategic Partnership Agreement with Turkey; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Murphy: Turkish Cypriots are European citizens. Our preferred means to enfranchise them would be a comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus problem that enables them to elect representatives to the European Parliament in the normal way. We are making every possible effort to secure that outcome. Absent of a settlement, we welcome interest shown by Turkish Cypriots in the European Parliament; and by European parliamentarians in the Turkish Cypriot community—not least as oversight and encouragement of disbursement under the Aid Regulation by the Commission. It is for the Parliament to decide precisely what mechanisms to employ. But we will urge the Council to support any such initiatives, as complementing its own efforts to bring Turkish Cypriots closer to Europe, underlining what the two communities have in common, and help reunify the island.

Turkey: Foreign Relations

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to promote direct  (a) commercial,  (b) economic,  (c) political and  (d) cultural contacts between the UK, EU and Turkish Cypriots, in accordance with the Strategic Partnership with Turkey; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Murphy: The Government fully support the EU's desire to end Turkish Cypriot isolation and facilitate the reunification of Cyprus. We believe that lifting the isolation of the Turkish Cypriots, and bringing them closer to the EU, will help to build economic and cultural links between Greek and Turkish Cypriots, and will make a future settlement less costly to accommodate. Long-standing UK policy is to put market forces at the service of a settlement and promote people to people contacts at all times.

Turkey: Foreign Relations

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reference there is in the Strategic Partnership Agreement with Turkey to  (a) building on Greek-Cypriot-owned land in Cyprus,  (b) migration from Turkey to Cyprus,  (c) the Turkish military presence in Cyprus,  (d) implementation of the EU customs union agreement in Cyprus,  (e) the UN process on Cyprus with particular reference to the 2006 Gambari agreement; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Murphy: The Strategic Partnership reflects the breadth of co-operation between the UK and Turkish Governments. The agreement is not, however, designed to be an exhaustive reflection of our policy towards Cyprus. The document emphasises our primary goal of a comprehensive and enduring Cyprus settlement, which would address many of the issues referred to. Our policy is to continue to support the 8 July Process, which I reiterated in my 31 October statement published on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website at:
	http://www.fco.gov.uk/servlet/Front?pagename=OpenMarket/Xcelerate/ShowPage&c=Page&cid=1007029391629&a=KArticle&aid=1193598399882
	The Government's position remains that Turkey must implement all its obligations to the EU, including those in relation to Cyprus, such as normalisation of relations and the implementation of the Ankara Agreement Protocol.

Turkey: Foreign Relations

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what consultations were held with Greece as a guarantor power, prior to the signing of the strategic partnership with Turkey on 23 October 2007, in relation to the provisions relating to Cyprus and Turkish Cypriots; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Murphy: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave him today (UIN 162759).
	There were no consultations held with Greece prior to the signing of the Strategic Partnership with Turkey.

Turkey: Foreign Relations

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he made to Turkey over the military occupation of Cyprus when negotiating the Strategic Partnership Agreement of 23 October; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Murphy: The UK/Turkey Strategic Partnership Agreement focuses on the long-term strategic objectives between Turkey and the UK. Regarding the presence of Turkish troops in Cyprus, UK Ministers have called for a goodwill gesture from Turkey in the form of a troop reduction, in order to build trust on the island.
	The question of how to provide security for both communities is a central issue that will need to be addressed in the course of negotiations to achieve a comprehensive settlement. This underlines the importance of the rapid implementation of the 8 July process, to prepare the ground for fully fledged settlement negotiations.

Turkey: Foreign Relations

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what treaty obligations govern negotiations and other discussions concerning Cyprus between the guarantor powers, with particular reference to bilateral negotiations between two guarantor powers without the participation of the third; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Murphy: Article IV of the Treaty of Guarantee provides that Greece, Turkey and the UK will consult together in the event of a breach of the treaty.
	The UK/Turkey Strategic Partnership is intended to promote re-unification of the island, which is the longstanding obligation of all three guarantor powers. The UK/Turkey Agreement does not change in any way our long-term policy on the Cyprus settlement question, which is unconditional support for the implementation of the UN's 8 July 2006 agreement. Therefore it was not necessary to consult with all guarantor powers concerning Cyprus.

Venezuela

Colin Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 20 November 2007,  Official Report, column 747W, on Venezuela, what assessment he has made of the  (a) impartiality, ( b) funding streams and  (c) personnel involved in Transparency International in Venezuela.

Kim Howells: holding answer 27 November 2007
	Globally, we consider Transparency International to be a professional and impartial organisation, doing important work. The UK is committed to combating international corruption. Like other governments, we look at Transparency International's annual index with interest, as it raises awareness of the continued need to combat corruption both here and overseas.
	We work with governments and civil society organisations such as Transparency International on projects to combat corruption, including in Venezuela. When I discussed corruption with the Venezuelan ambassador on 26 November, I took note of his concerns about Transparency International in Venezuela. We agreed that efforts to combat the problem of corruption in Venezuela were welcome and would continue to receive the UK's support.

Zimbabwe: Politics and Government

John MacDougall: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the political situation in Zimbabwe.

Meg Munn: holding answer 26 November 2007
	I refer my hon. Friend to the answer my hon. Friend the Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (Dr. Howells) gave to the hon. Member for Kettering (Mr. Hollobone) on 20 November,  Official Report, columns 1093-1094.

Autism

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what recent assessment he has made of the ability of local authorities to meet the needs of people with autism;
	(2)  what steps he is taking to ensure that local authority commissioners  (a) demonstrate their plans to provide services to people with autism and  (b) provide adequate resources to implement those plans;
	(3)  what assessment he has made of the ability of the service plans of local authority commissioners to meet the needs of people with autism; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: We have not made any assessment of the ability of local authorities nor the ability of the service plans of local authority commissioners to meet the needs of people with autism. It is for local authorities to manage their priorities and decide how resources should be attributed, taking into consideration locally identified needs and assessments of individuals.
	As stated in the guidance on eligibility criteria for adult social care, councils have to commission services to meet the needs of people who meet the criteria under "Fair Access to Care Services—Guidance on eligibility criteria for adult social care". A copy is available in the Library. If there are gaps in services, they should be filled. For 2007-08, the Government have provided £12.5 billion for local councils in respect of adult personal social services.
	In addition, "Better services for people with an autistic spectrum disorder: A note clarifying current Government policy and describing good practice" was published on 16 November 2006. It clarifies the nature and intent of existing Government policy as it relates to adults with an autistic spectrum disorder (ASD). A copy is available in the Library.

Autism

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance he issues to local authorities on support for adults with an autism spectrum disorder.

Ivan Lewis: 'Better services for people with an autistic spectrum disorder: A note clarifying current Government policy and describing good practice' was published on 16 November 2006. It clarifies the nature and intent of existing Government policy as it relates to adults with an autistic spectrum disorder. A copy of this is available in the Library.

Care Homes: Food

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average daily cost to the public purse was of food for each publicly-funded patient in a nursing home in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Ivan Lewis: The information requested is not collected centrally. Following on from the nutrition summits I held in March and July this year, the Department launched the Nutrition Action Plan on 30 October, to tackle a wide range of issues and barriers to improving nutrition and nutritional care.

Consent to Medical Treatment

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 20 November 2007,  Official Report, column 820W, on consent to medical treatment, which primary care trusts have put in place procedures for implementing the Mental Capacity Act 2005.

Ivan Lewis: Resources for the implementation of the Mental Capacity Act were made available to the national health service and to local authorities separately. In addition local authorities were asked to take the lead in creating local implementation networks where all local stakeholders—health, social care, voluntary and private organisations—all met together and planned the local implementation and the local training to be made available. We expected all primary care trusts to participate in these networks and have no information to suggest that they have not done so.

Cumbria

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether his Department plans to move any of its offices to Westmorland and Lonsdale constituency.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department has no plans to move any of its offices to the Westmorland and Lonsdale constituency.

Dental Services

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to ensure that patients are informed of their entitlement to treatment by an NHS dentist.

Ann Keen: Primary care trusts (PCTs) are responsible for ensuring that their local residents and people seeking services within their area are aware of the range of national health service services available. NHS dental services are a mainstream NHS service. Any United Kingdom resident (or visiting European Union resident under reciprocal arrangements) who is eligible for NHS care is therefore eligible for NHS dental services. PCTs methods of promoting NHS dental services range from leaflets to targeted local advertising campaigns. Most also run dental help lines providing advice on how to access services locally. The location and other details of NHS dental practices can be accessed nationally via NHS Direct and NHS Choices or from the local PCT, often through their Patient Advisory and Liaison Service.
	The Department works with the local NHS continually to improve patient communication. Improving the range and depth of information available via NHS Choices (previously NHS.UK) is one part of this ongoing work. The NHS Choices website is currently being enhanced to include a central contact number for each PCT through which potential patients can access information about the availability of services in their chosen area, in addition to the existing dental query helpline and out of hours contact numbers. We expect this improvement to the existing service to be available later this year, and further improvements will follow next year. The site can be accessed at:
	www.nhs.uk/Pages/homepage.aspx
	For those unable to access the information in this way the information is more widely accessible through computerised information systems in Libraries and other communal places. It is also anticipated that PCTs will continue to promote the availability of and entitlement to services in more traditional ways, using literature placed in other primary care premises e.g. general practitioners and pharmacies, in libraries and in Yellow Pages wherever possible.

Dental Services: Cumbria

Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many dental practices are operating in  (a) Cumbria and  (b) Copeland.

Ann Keen: National Health Service Business Services Authority's Dental Services Division can provide validated information on the number of NHS dental practices only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Accountancy

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what policy costing guidance documents there were in use within his Department prior to the development of the Department's policy costing handbook, aside from the Policy Appraisal and Health document dated November 2004.

Ben Bradshaw: Before issuing the Policy Costing Handbook there was no consolidated costing guidance documents issued within the Department for policy branches. References to a range of other guidance which referred to costing had been provided through the Department's intranet, such as the Policy Appraisal and Health document, Treasury's Green Book Appraisal and Evaluation in Central Government, NHS Costing Manual (for national health service reference costs) and the annual publication by the Personal Social Services Research Unit, Unit Costs of Health and Social Care.

Departmental Manpower

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many civil servants in his Department  (a) transferred to other Government departments and  (b) left the Civil Service in each of the last five years.

Ben Bradshaw: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Exchequer Secretary (Angela Eagle) on 13 November 2007,  Official Report, columns 203-07W.

Departmental Manpower

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people aged  (a) 30 to 39,  (b) 40 to 49,  (c) 50 to 59 and  (d) 60 to 69 years have (i) applied for jobs, (ii) received interviews and (iii) gained (A) temporary and (B) permanent jobs in his Department in 2007.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department does not hold age information on applicants or interviewees for temporary posts who are not appointed. We do not hold records on over-60s separate from over-50s. The following table presents the data available from existing records without disproportionate cost.
	
		
			  Age group  Applied  Interviewed  Appointed (to permanent posts) 
			  Internal Recruitment
			 30-39 104 72 20 
			 40-49 102 73 12 
			 over 50 35 21 1 
			 
			  External Recruitment
			 30-39 9 2 0 
			 40-49 5 2 0 
			 over 50 4 2 1

Departmental Standards

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health on what date he expects to publish his Department's 2007 Autumn Performance Report.

Ben Bradshaw: In line with HM Treasury guidelines, the Department's autumn Performance Report will be published by 15 December. However, the exact publication date is to be decided.

Departmental Standards

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects to publish his Department's autumn performance report.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department of Health has not yet set a date for publication of its autumn performance report for 2007, however it is our intention to publish this before the house rises for the Christmas recess.

Doctors' and Dentists' Review Body

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health with reference to paragraph 3.6 on page 20 of his Department's evidence to the Review Body on Doctors' and Dentists' Remuneration, how many voluntary redundancies there were over the same period, broken down into clinical and non-clinical redundancies.

Ann Keen: For the period between 1 April 2006 and 31 March 2007 there were the 993 voluntary redundancies. Of these 812 (82 per cent.) were clinical and 181 (18 per cent.) were non-clinical. Only eight (0.08 per cent.) were medical voluntary redundancies.
	The comparative figures for the voluntary redundancies against paragraph 3.6 are shown in the following table. These are cumulative year to date figures.
	
		
			  Month  Clinical  Non-clinical  Total 
			  2006
			 September 87 301 388 
			 October 117 368 485 
			 November 124 530 654 
			 December 139 609 748 
			  2007
			 January 160 663 823 
			 February 175 712 887 
			 March 181 812 993

Doctors: Housing

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance he has given to NHS trusts on charging junior doctors for hospital-owned accommodation.

Ann Keen: Guidance already exists within the Terms and Conditions of Employment for junior doctors on the application of charges for accommodation provided through hospital channels. It was not considered necessary to issue further guidance for doctors already covered by existing contractual provisions as the change to the Medical Act did not alter their situation in respect of tax or rental charges.

Emergency Calls: Ambulance Services

Boris Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average time taken to respond to an emergency telephone call by the ambulance service was in  (a) England,  (b) London and  (c) each London borough in each year since 1997.

Ben Bradshaw: The information requested is not collected centrally.
	The ambulance response time data that are collected, and which include the number of emergency calls received by ambulance trusts across England and their performances against the targets set, is published annually. The latest statistical bulletin, 'Ambulance Services, England, 2006-07' was published in June 2007. A copy is available in the Library.

Health Services: Foreigners

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the amount spent by the NHS each year on providing NHS outpatient care to non-EU citizens.

Dawn Primarolo: It is not possible to provide the information requested. Successive Governments have not required the national health service to provide statistics on the number of foreign nationals seen, treated or charged under the provisions of the NHS (Charges to Overseas Visitors) Regulations 1989, as amended, nor any costs involved.

HIV Infection: Death

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people in the UK died from AIDS in each of the last five years; and how many in each year were under the age of 25 years.

Dawn Primarolo: The information available is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Number of deaths among HIV-infected individuals in the United Kingdom 2002-06 by year of death and age at death( 1) 
			  Age at death  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			 < 25 years 13 12 12 8 18 
			 > 25 years 507 560 484 531 479 
			 Total 520 572 496 539 497 
			 (1) Includes all deaths in HIV-infected as it is presently not possible to assign deaths by primary cause and an individual may have several causes of death which can be difficult to interpret.  Notes: 1. Data in the table include reports received by the end of June 2007. Numbers will rise as further reports are received. 2. Deaths are reported by region of death; the individual may have been infected and diagnosed with HIV elsewhere in the UK or abroad. Region of death is not reported in all cases.  Source:  Health Protection Agency.

HIV Infection: Young People

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people in the UK under the age of 25 years were diagnosed with HIV in each of the last five years.

Dawn Primarolo: The information requested is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  HIV diagnoses in the United Kingdom among individuals aged less than 25 years at diagnosis, by year of HIV diagnosis 
			   Number 
			 2002 796 
			 2003 965 
			 2004 1,019 
			 2005 1,006 
			 2006(1) 860 
			 (1) Cumulative data reported by the end of June 2007. Numbers will rise as further reports are received.  Note: The data includes many individuals who have been infected with HIV outside the UK but who have been subsequently diagnosed in the UK.  Source:  Health Protection Agency.

Home Visits: Subsistence Allowances

Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health in what year the 40 pence per mile payment was introduced for NHS clinical staff who use their own cars for patient visits; and if he will increase this payment.

Ann Keen: The current mileage allowances for national health service staff employed on national conditions of service including the 40 pence per mile were introduced in July 2000.
	The rates are set by the NHS Staff Council.

Hospitals: Cleaning Services

Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress is being made on plans to deep clean hospitals.

Ann Keen: As the Prime Minister announced in September, deep cleaning will occur in all hospitals, starting this winter, with resources allocated through the strategic health authorities (SHAs).
	A letter from the Chief Nursing Officer and Director General of National Health Service Finance, Performance and Operations was sent to the NHS on 1 November giving instructions on the various measures targeting healthcare associated infections, including deep cleaning.
	Each trust's deep-clean plan will vary according to local need. Trusts will agree costed deep clean plans with their lead commissioners and SHA, who will monitor performance against this plan, as per normal performance management arrangements. Foundation trusts will also be invited to agree plans and funding for additional deep cleaning with local commissioners, together with local arrangements for checking the agreed work has been carried out. SHAs will take an overview as to progress across their area and will report to the Department.
	I refer my hon. Friend to the written ministerial statement on 21 November 2007,  Official Report, column 134WS.

Hospitals: Food

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average spending per meal on hospital food was in each financial year since 1997-98 for which figures are available.

Ann Keen: The information requested is in the following table. Data was not collected before 2001-02.
	
		
			   Average amount spent per patient main meal (£) 
			 2001-02 2.19 
			 2002-03 2.41 
			 2003-04 2.37 
			 2004-05 2.60 
			 2005-06 2.65 
			 2006-07 2.83 
		
	
	Inpatients are expected to receive three main meals per day. The spend includes the cost of provisions and staff costs. The data are collected from the national health service. Since 2004-05 the data provided has not been collected on a mandatory basis and therefore will not be complete.

Hospitals: Hygiene

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the likely effect of compulsory ward inspections on  (a) hygiene standards and  (b) infection rates in hospitals.

Ann Keen: The Healthcare Commission are currently carrying out spot checks of 120 trusts and, from next year, the Healthcare Commission will be undertaking annual specialist inspections of all acute trusts. It will be for the Healthcare Commission to decide how detailed an inspection is required in any individual case and inspections are likely to vary in depth, with the greatest focus being on those trusts giving rise to the greatest concern.
	The Healthcare Commission has the power to issue improvement notices where it finds material failures to comply with the statutory code of practice for the prevention and control of health care associated infections, in order to ensure that such failings are remedied.
	As these inspections will be in place, the Department considers that compulsory ward inspections would duplicate activity.

Hospitals: Infectious Diseases

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases of  (a) methicillin resistant  staphylococcus aureus,  (b) vancomycin-intermediate  staphylococcus aureus,  (c) clostridium difficile associated diarrhoea,  (d) vancomycin-resistant  staphylococcus aureus and  (e) glycopeptide-resistant enterococci were recorded in each hospital in England in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: From April 2001 all National Health Service Acute Trusts in England were required to report all cases of methicillin resistant  Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) blood stream infections under the mandatory surveillance scheme run by the Health Protection Agency (HPA). The latest data for each trust for the quarter from April to June 2007 and for each 12 month period from April 2001 to March 2007 are available (table 3 and table 5 respectively) at:
	www.hpa.org.uk/infections/topics_az/hai/Mandatory_Results.htm
	Data are not collected for vancomycin-intermediates  Staphylococcus aureus or vancomycin-resistant  Staphylococcus aureus under the mandatory surveillance scheme. However, the Staphylococcal Reference and Antibiotic Resistance Monitoring Laboratories (ARMRL), the national reference laboratory responsible for the detection and investigation of antibiotic resistance has screened over 50,000 MRSA isolates for resistance to vancomycin in the past 10 years. Of these, ARMRL has confirmed two isolates of vancomycin-intermediate  Staphylococcus aureus. ARMRL has not confirmed any isolates of vancomycin-resistant  Staphylococcus aureus.
	Information is also available by acute NHS Trust for England for  Clostridium difficile infection under the mandatory surveillance scheme from January 2004 in people aged 65 years and over. The latest data for the first two quarters of 2007 and data for 2004, 2005 and 2006 are available at (table 1 and table 2 respectively):
	www.hpa.org.uk/infections/topics_az/hai/Mandatory_Results.htm
	The HPA also collects Acute Trust data on Glycopeptide-resistant enterococci blood stream infections in England from October 2003. Data for each 12 month period from October 2003 to September 2006 were published in July 2007 at:
	www.hpa.org.uk/infections/topics_az/enterococci/mandatory_surveillance.htm

Hospitals: Infectious Diseases

Diane Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the effect on the level of hospital acquired infections of the widespread introduction of subcontracting in hospital cleaning; and if he will make a statement.

Ann Keen: Mandatory surveillance of health care associated infections was not introduced until 2001 but prevalence surveys of health care associated infections were undertaken in 1980, 1993 and 2006. There has been little change in the prevalence of hospital acquired infections overall over the last 20 years.
	The Conservative Government introduced compulsory competitive tendering in 1983, requiring the national health service to market test domestic cleaning, catering, and linen and laundry services on a regular basis. This Government lifted that requirement in 2000, and trusts must now benchmark their services before deciding whether to market test.
	Current guidance on contracting for cleaning makes it clear that quality must be considered alongside cost when deciding how to provide cleaning services. Recent information suggests that there is currently no difference between in-house and outsourced cleaning in terms of standards and outcomes.

Immigration Status of Employees

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the Prime Minister's answer of 14 November 2007,  Official Report, columns 657-8, on the immigration status of employees, what steps his Department has taken to establish the immigration status of its employees since the Security Industry Authority wrote to employers in August on security checks.

Ben Bradshaw: We apply the baseline security checks, which include a nationality check, to all employees on entry to this Department; this forms part of our standard recruitment process and is applied to permanent, fixed term and casual employees.

Incontinence

Graham Allen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Health Services) will meet the hon. Member for Nottingham North to discuss the issues relating to incontinence arising from the Westminster Hall debate on 24th October 2007,  Official Report, columns 93-100WH.

Ann Keen: The Under-Secretary of State for Health has now arranged to meeting with my hon. Friend to discuss issues relating to incontinence on Wednesday 5 December.

Influenza

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what quantity of influenza vaccine the Government's scientific advisers have recommended should be stockpiled; and what quantity of influenza vaccine has been stockpiled.

Dawn Primarolo: The Government have already stockpiled 3.3 million doses of H5N1 vaccine. The science underpinning the further development and potential use of pre-pandemic vaccine, including the range of options for the size of any future stockpile, has been reviewed by United Kingdom and other international experts. Their conclusions are available on the Department's website at:
	www.advisorybodies.doh.gov.uk/sagpf/minutes/sag-modelling-summary-nov2007.pdf

Malnutrition

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of finished episodes of care with a primary diagnosis of  (a) coronary heart disease,  (b) stroke and transient ischaemic attack,  (c) diabetes,  (d) chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder,  (e) cancer,  (f) dementia,  (g) depression and  (h) chronic kidney disease had a secondary diagnosis of malnutrition or nutritional anaemias in each year since 1997-98.

Ann Keen: The following table shows a count of finished consultant episodes where the primary diagnosis was either coronary heart disease, stroke and ischaemic attack, diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder, cancer, dementia, depression or chronic kidney disease and the proportion of these which also had a secondary diagnosis of malnutrition or nutritional anaemia, in each year since 1997-98 to 2005-06 (which is the latest data available).
	
		
			  NHS hospitals, England 
			   Finished consultant episodes where the primary diagnosis is either coronary heart disease, stroke and ischaemic attack, diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder, cancer, dementia, depression or chronic kidney disease.  Finished consultant episodes where the primary diagnosis is either coronary heart disease, stroke and ischaemic attack, diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder, cancer, dementia, depression or chronic kidney disease and the secondary diagnosis is malnutrition or nutritional anaemia.  Percentage of finished consultant episodes where the primary diagnosis is either coronary heart disease, stroke and ischaemic attack, diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder, cancer, dementia, depression or chronic kidney disease, that had a secondary diagnosis of either malnutrition or nutritional anaemia. 
			 2005-06 2,234,947 18,552 0.83 
			 2004-05 2,131,758 16,422 0.77 
			 2003-04 2,076,479 14,640 0.71 
			 2002-03 2,011,836 13,364 0.66 
			 2001-02 1,947,016 11,445 0.59 
			 2000-01 1,929,903 10,301 0.53 
			 1999-2000 1,930,793 9,865 0.51 
			 1998-99 1,834,918 9,740 0.53 
			 1997-98 1,742,749 9,381 0.54 
			  Notes:  1.  Diagnosis (Primary Diagnosis)  The primary diagnosis is the first of up to 14 (seven prior to 2002-03) diagnosis fields in the HES data set and provides the main reason why the patient was in hospital.  2.  Secondary Diagnoses  As well as the primary diagnosis, there are up to 13 (six prior to 2002-03) secondary diagnosis fields in HES that show other diagnoses relevant to the episode of care.  3. Finished Consultant Episode (FCE)  A FCE is defined as a period of admitted patient care under one consultant within one health care provider. The figures do not represent the number of patients, as a person may have more than one episode of care within the year.  4.  Ungrossed Data  Figures have not been adjusted for shortfalls in data (i.e. the data are ungrossed).  5.  Assessing growth through time  HES figures are available from 1989-90 onwards. During the years that these records have been collected by the national health service there have been ongoing improvements in quality and coverage. These improvements in information submitted by the NHS have been particularly marked in the earlier years and need to be borne in mind when analysing time series. Changes in NHS practice also need to be borne in mind when analysing time series. For example a number of procedures may now be undertaken in outpatient settings and may no longer be accounted in the HES data. This may account for any reductions in activity over time.  Source:  Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), The Information Centre for health and social care.

Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust: Finance

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will place in the Library a copy of the recent report by PricewaterhouseCoopers to his Department on the Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust's financial position.

Ann Keen: The Department introduced a new working capital loans system in 2006-07. As a result, there were 17 NHS trusts that could not afford to meet the repayments within a reasonable timescale. Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust was one of these trusts.
	As announced in our "Quarter 4 NHS Financial Performance report 2006-07", the Department, along with SHAs are now working through a review process with these trusts to identify long-term solutions in these areas.
	PricewaterhouseCoopers were commissioned to carry out the review at Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust. The Department is considering this report, along with the reports relating to other trusts in the financially challenged trust regime, in relation to current policy formation and development.
	With this in mind we are currently applying section 36 of the Freedom of Information Act to the report as the information would be likely to inhibit free and frank provision of advice and the free and frank exchange of views for the purposes of deliberations.
	The results of this review process are being discussed with the strategic health authorities and solutions are being prepared in the context of the Operating Framework for 2008-09.

Milton Keynes Hospital: Maternity Services

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many midwives worked in Milton Keynes hospital in each month of the last three years.

Ivan Lewis: holding answer 26 November 2007
	This is a matter for the chair of Milton Keynes Hospital National Health Service Foundation Trust. I have written to Mike Rowlands informing him of the hon. Member's enquiry. He will reply shortly and a copy of the letter will be placed in the Library.

NHS: Complaints

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many complaints were made about services at each NHS trust in each of the last three years; and how many such cases resulted in litigation.

Ann Keen: The information requested has been placed in the Library. It details the number of written complaints about hospital and community services received by each individual national health services trust in 2004-05, 2005-06, and 2006-07.
	There is no direct causal link between cases of litigation and complaints, as litigation can be pursued without first lodging a formal complaint; and aggregated information on litigation cases is held separately by the NHS Litigation Authority. There is therefore no data available on how many individual litigation cases begin as complaints. Data on number of litigation cases in 2004-05, 2005-06, and 2006-07 is set out in the following table.
	
		
			   CNST  Existing Liability Scheme (ELS)  Ex-regional health authorities (Ex-RHAs)  Total 
			 2004-05 5,273 329 7 5,609 
			 2005-06 5,427 270 0 5,697 
			 2006-07 5,280 146 0 5,426 
			  Note: CNST is for clinical negligence incidents from 1 April 1995, ELS for clinical negligence pre 1 April 1995, and Ex-RHA is for liabilities relating to the Ex-RHAs. The number of claims relates to the year a claim is made, not the year the incident occurred.

NHS: Finance

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will place in the Library copies of the recovery plans agreed by strategic health authorities for all trusts that were in deficit at the end of 2006-07.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department manages the financial performance of the national health service through strategic health authorities (SHAs). National health service organisations that overspend are required to develop recovery plans to demonstrate how they will return to financial balance. Recovery plans are agreed and managed by SHAs so the information requested is not held by the Department.

NHS: Internet

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what patient involvement there has been in the design of the NHS Choices website.

Ben Bradshaw: NHS Choices has carried out extensive engagement with patients, voluntary groups and professional bodies on the design of the NHS Choices website. This engagement is integral to the development of the site and will continue as the NHS Choices evolves.
	NHS Choices is a service aimed at all those interested in health information and services, including patients. An extensive programme of qualitative and quantitative user research and testing has been completed to inform the design of the service both pre and post launch. This type of research has and will continue to inform the evolution of the site's products and design.
	Pre-launch (NHS Choices was launched in June 2007) a series of workshops were conducted with members of the public, general practitioners (GPs), health service workers, voluntary and public sector intermediaries designed to test the service vision. NHS Choices also carried out tactical 'scorecard' and 'naming' research among groups of C2DE internet users.
	Post Launch, three learning forums have been used to test the live site, site propositions and design and content prototypes with groups of internet users; drawn from all ages, genders and ethnic groups. Each session comprises of four groups; and lessons from these groups have been feeding into service development for subsequent releases.
	A representative survey of GP in practices in England has also been conducted in order to benchmark awareness and usage of the site, provide a broad site evaluation and test various service propositions. In addition, qualitative research has been used with GPs to understand in greater detail their engagement as clinicians with the site and again to test further developed service propositions.
	To engage with the national health service staff 10 road shows have been conducted across the country. This engaged more than 500 NHS staff from trusts, to primary care trust and practice managers.
	Product development has also involved a high level of engagement. The site's new GP profiles are designed around a three-year research programme by Manchester university, a pilot by the National Programme for Information Technology and extensive negotiations with the British Medical Association, Royal College of GPs and other professional bodies. New services, piloted across the country are also being evaluated with users, such as the qualitative research in Derby with young people to inform smoking cessation and physical health services.
	Further qualitative research is planned with young mothers and with those with long-term health conditions and their carers to specifically test proposed products such as NHS LifeCheck and condition pathways. NHS Choices' customer insight team are also about to conduct an on-line survey with GPs to further test 'score-card' content and GP service engagement.
	NHS Choices will soon be scheduling on-line surveys with public users (some of whom with long-term health conditions) and continuing to provide qualitative or quantitative research to address product development needs. A nationwide survey of pharmacists will be conducted in the near future to benchmark their awareness and usage of the service as well as their broader evaluation of the service.
	The Department is also carrying out a nationwide quantitative survey by Central Office of Information and Market and Opinion Research International benchmarking usage awareness of the service among the public as well as health information and service behaviours via the internet.
	NHS Choices has also worked with the Royal National Institute of the Blind to carry out an accessibility assessment on the site.

NHS: Public Appointments

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what criteria are used by the NHS Appointments Commission in evaluating the suitability of candidates for the position of chair of NHS hospital trusts.

Ann Keen: The Appointments Commission is directed by the Secretary of State for Health to appoint people to NHS boards with a range of skills and experience including those with a strong community service and/or voluntary sector background. Appointments are made on the over riding principal of merit and in an open and transparent way. The current criteria used are:
	 Qualities required to be an NHS trust chair
	Candidates will need to demonstrate that they have the necessary experience, and will need to show that they have:
	experience of leading an organisation with a significant budget and of comparable complexity;
	a considerable reputation within their field whether public, private or voluntary sector;
	a portfolio of high level governance and organisational skills including strategic planning, financial management, risk management, organisation performance management and service development in a regulated environment; and
	experience of building alliances and working relationships with a range of stakeholders.
	Preference will be given to candidates who live in the area served by the organisation but specific eligibility criteria may apply.
	Candidates who are shortlisted for interview will need to show that they have the competencies required to be effective in this demanding leadership role. They are:
	Patient and community focus—high level of commitment to patients, carers and the community and to tackling health inequalities in disadvantaged groups;
	Self belief and drive—the motivation to improve NHS performance and the confidence to take on challenges;
	Intellectual flexibility—the ability to be creative, make sense of complexity and clarify it for other people;
	Strategic direction—the ability to develop a clear vision and enthuse others;
	Holding to account—the willingness to be held to account for board performance and the ability to hold the chief executive and non-executives to account;
	Team working—the ability to take on a personal leadership role and build an effective team;
	Effective influencing and communication—a high level of ability to gain support and influence, political acumen.

St. Helier Hospital: Maternity Services

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was spent on the provision of maternity services at St. Helier hospital, Surrey in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available.

Dawn Primarolo: This information is not held centrally by the Department. It is for the local national health service to decide on the provision of maternity services based on the needs of the local population.

Telford and Wrekin Primary Care Trust: Bowel Cancer

David Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the national bowel cancer screening programme will be implemented in the Telford and Wrekin primary care trust area.

Ann Keen: The National Health Service Bowel Cancer Screening Programme is one of the first national bowel screening programmes in the world, and the first cancer screening programme in England to invite men as well as women. It is an ambitious project, with national roll-out of the programme expected by December 2009, with all people in the age range receiving an invitation by 2011. Implementation in the Telford and Wrekin area will occur on a phased basis from 2008-09. The provision of local health services is the responsibility of the local NHS organisations in conjunction with their strategic health authorities.

Afghanistan: Reconstruction

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the answer of 19 November 2007,  Official Report, column 551W, on Afghanistan: reconstruction, what progress has been made towards meeting the benchmarks of the Afghanistan Compact.

Shahid Malik: The latest full reporting against all 43 benchmarks outlined in the Afghan Compact by the Joint Monitoring and Co-ordination Board (JCMB) took place on 1 May 2007 with JCMB V. The next full report against all benchmarks will be at JCMB VII, currently planned to be held on 6 February 2008 in Japan.
	JCMB VI recently reported that of the 12 short-life benchmarks due to be completed before 2011, the majority have been achieved or are on schedule. Benchmark 1.4, Disbandment of Illegal Armed Groups, was extended to March 2011 based on the presentation of a roadmap to it in line with the timeline for the development of security sector reform initiatives, including the development of the Afghan National Army and Afghan National Police. Difficulties with achieving the following benchmarks were highlighted at JCMB VI: mine action (1.6), CSO baseline statistics (2.3.2), minerals regulations (3.4) and banking (8.4).
	A full history and list of progress against all benchmarks can be found online at:
	www.ands.gov.af

Departmental Data Protection

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many requests his Department received from the National Audit Office for access to databases containing personal information on members of the general public in each year since 1997.

Douglas Alexander: I refer the hon. Member to the statement made by right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 21 November 2007,  Official Report, column 1179. The review by the Cabinet Secretary and security experts is looking at procures within Departments and agencies for the storage and use of data. A statement on Departments' procedures will be made on completion of the review.

Departmental Data Protection

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what provisions his Department has in place to ensure that databases containing personal information on members of the general public are not accessed  (a) by unauthorised staff and  (b) by authorised staff for unauthorised purposes;

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development 
	(1)  how many breaches of data protection security there were in his Department in each of the last five years; and if he will provide details of each breach;
	(2)  on how many occasions the Information Commissioner was contacted by his Department to report breaches of data protection security in each of the last five years;

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what procedures are in place in his Department to ensure that personal information relating to members of the public is  (a) stored and  (b) transported securely.

Douglas Alexander: I refer the hon. Member to the statement made by right hon. friend the Prime Minister on 21 November 2007,  Official Report, column 1179. The review by the Cabinet Secretary and security experts is looking at procedures within Departments and Agencies for the storage and use of data. A statement on Departments' procedures will be made on completion of the review.

Departmental Data Protection

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many times electronic databases in his Department containing personal information on members of the public were accessed in each month in each of the last five years.

Douglas Alexander: I refer the hon. Member to the statement made by right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 21 November 2007,  Official Report, column 1179. The review by the Cabinet Secretary and security experts is looking at procures within Departments and agencies for the storage and use of data. A statement on Departments' procedures will be made on completion of the review.

Departmental Data Protection

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many staff at each grade in his Department have access to electronic databases which contain personal information on members of the public.

Douglas Alexander: I refer the hon. Member to the statement made by right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 21 November 2007,  Official Report, column 1179. The review by the Cabinet Secretary and security experts is looking at procures within Departments and agencies for the storage and use of data. A statement on Departments' procedures will be made on completion of the review.

Departmental Data Protection

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many breaches of personal data security there were in his Department in each year since 1997.

Douglas Alexander: I refer the hon. Member to the statement made by right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 21 November 2007,  Official Report, column 1179. The review by the Cabinet Secretary and security experts is looking at procures within Departments and agencies for the storage and use of data. A statement on Departments' procedures will be made on completion of the review.

Departmental Data Protection

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many electronic databases his Department has which contain the  (a) names,  (b) addresses,  (c) bank details and  (d) other personal information of members of the public.

Douglas Alexander: I refer the hon. Member to the statement made by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 21 November 2007,  Official Report, column 1179. The review by the Cabinet Secretary and security experts is looking at procedures within departments and agencies for the storage and use of data. A statement on departments' procedures will be made on completion of the review.

Departmental Data Protection

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether he proposes to review how his Department transports data; and whether his Department uses TNT to transport data.

Douglas Alexander: I refer the hon. Member to the statement made by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 21 November 2007,  Official Report, column 1179. The review by the Cabinet Secretary and security experts is looking at procedures within departments and agencies for the storage and use of data. A statement on departments' procedures will be made on completion of the review.

Departmental Data Protection

Robert Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many breaches of the Data Protection Act 1998 requiring investigation there have been in the last five years in his Department; what the nature of such breaches were; and what the results of the investigations were in each case.

Douglas Alexander: I refer the hon. Member to the statement made by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 21 November 2007,  Official Report, column 1179. The review by the Cabinet Secretary and security experts is looking at procedures within departments and agencies for the storage and use of data. A statement on departments' procedures will be made on completion of the review.

Departmental Data Protection

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many confirmed data security breaches there have been in his Department in the last 36 months; and what action was taken after each occurrence.

Douglas Alexander: I refer the hon. Member to the statement made by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 21 November 2007,  Official Report, column 1179. The review by the Cabinet Secretary and security experts is looking at procedures within departments and agencies for the storage and use of data. A statement on departments' procedures will be made on completion of the review.

Fairtrade Foundation: Finance

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much his Department allocated to the Fairtrade Foundation in each of the last five years; how much will be given in 2008-09; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: In each of the last five years we have given the following funding to the Fairtrade Foundation:
	
		
			   £ 
			 2003-04 240,695 
			 2004-05 230,478 
			 2005-06 264,169 
			 2006-07 296,795 
			 2007-08 135,583 
		
	
	We are currently discussing future funding with the UK Fairtrade Foundation and their International partner, the Fairtrade Labelling Organisation (FLO). At the request of FLO, we have agreed to provide interim funding to the Fairtrade Foundation for the next two years, until a strategic review on its expansion has been completed and a longer-term proposal can be put to donors. Our interim support will be around €1 million over two years. No decision has been made about the size of our longer-term funding, but we remain committed to expanding the fair trade sector.

Forced Labour: Cocoa

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent discussions his Department has had with  (a) the Government of Ivory Coast,  (b) the Government of Ghana and  (c) other governments of cocoa-producing countries on the use of child labour in cocoa production.

Gareth Thomas: DFID officials regularly discuss child labour in the cocoa industry with the Government of Ghana, which has shown strong commitment to the issue. The government has passed a Children's Act which prohibits child labour, especially the engagement of children in hazardous and exploitative work. It has also been working with the International Labour Organisation on a Programme for the Elimination of Child Labour since 2000 and is collaborating with the industry initiative, known as the Harkin-Engel Protocol, to eradicate child labour in cocoa production.
	DFID has not held discussions with the Government of Ivory Coast on child labour in cocoa production. DFID does not have a bilateral programme with the Ivory Coast.
	DFID has had no discussions with the governments in other cocoa producing countries specifically on the use of child labour in cocoa production.

Non-Governmental Organisations: Finance

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what funding his Department gave to  (a) domestic and  (b) international non-governmental organisations and charities pursuing fair trade goals in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: Over the last five years we have provided over £2 million in funding to a number of different fair trade projects with different domestic non-governmental organisations. The annual breakdown is as follows:
	
		
			   Amount (£) 
			 2003-04 96,052 
			 2004-05 130,478 
			 2005-06 334,653 
			 2006-07 944,789 
			 2007-08 870,330 
		
	
	We have provided funding through a variety of mechanisms, including programme grants to the Fairtrade Foundation and other fair-trade organisations such as the Co-operative College, and the Development Awareness Fund. Though all recipients of the above grants are UK-based, a number of them work with international organisations. For example, the Fairtrade Foundation works closely with the Fairtrade Labelling Organisation International. As a result, some funding reaches non-UK based NGOs, though the specific amounts may not be detailed in project proposals.